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Good Night McKnight

G-Fafif Mar 02 2015 08:07 PM

Jeff McKnight passed away Sunday at age 52, per Bill Price (who references MBTN's research). http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/bitter ... ce+Twitter

Edgy MD Mar 02 2015 08:11 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Terrible. Way too young. His ex-big leaguer dad died himself at 57, around the time Jeff was bringing it for the 1994 Mets. I did a goofy profile of McK back when for KCMets: http://www.kcmets.com/MetoftheWeek/JeffMcKnight2.html

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 02 2015 08:23 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Geez what a disrespectful obituary. I was half-goofing when I wrote about him but that 16 years ago and I assumed he was alive and well. It was a longtime goal of mine to one day interview Jeff but didn't know where he'd wound up and figured I would always have time.

Edgy MD Mar 02 2015 08:26 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Yeah, that was some truly bitter Bitter Bill. Wake up and realize it's the last word on the guy. Don't make the story be about you.

G-Fafif Mar 02 2015 08:35 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Might have curbed the instinct to identify a just-deceased person's career as "lousy".

Mets Guy in Michigan Mar 02 2015 08:50 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

That is, unquestionably, the worst and most insensitive obituary I've seen. I'm saving this to be used as an example for my journalism students. Not sure if you saw the news, but Jeff McKnight, a Met who wore about 10 different numbers during a pretty lousy career with the Mets and Orioles, died Sunday at 52 due to leukemia, a disease he was battling for 10 years. Even if this was a feature about a perfectly healthy 52-year-old Jeff McKnight, that would be rough. Guy played six years in the majors. That's a dream come true for a lot of people. A story like that is the kind of thing that gives reporters in general and sportswriters in specific a bad name. And how many editors signed off on that? That reads like a drunken caller on a sports talk radio show. The Associated Press did a more professional job: BEE BRANCH, Ark. (AP) Jeff McKnight, a versatile player who spent six seasons with the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles, has died. He was 52. McKnight's family told the Mets that McKnight died Sunday after having leukemia for 10 years. His father, Jim, who briefly played for the Chicago Cubs in the early 1960s, was born in Bee Branch. Jeff McKnight made his big league debut in 1989 with the Mets and hit .233 overall with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 218 games. He singled in his final at-bat, for the Mets in August 1994 on the final day before a players' strike wiped out the rest of the season. McKnight was mostly an infielder, and played every position in the majors except center field and pitcher. McKnight hit his first big league home run off Jack Morris, an eighth-inning shot that helped rally the Orioles over Detroit at Memorial Stadium.

Edgy MD Mar 02 2015 09:14 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

With the state of journalism as it is, I'm going to guess the number of signoffs was somewhere between zero and one. And that one may have just been a copyeditor. I wrote Price and asked him to pull it and do a re-write.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 02 2015 09:45 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Bill's job is to come off like an unedited hack.

Edgy MD Mar 02 2015 10:07 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

No doubt, but it's as good a night as any to find religion.

Nymr83 Mar 02 2015 10:43 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Jeff McKnight made his big league debut in 1989 with the Mets and hit .233 overall with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 218 games. He singled in his final at-bat, for the Mets in August 1994 on the final day before a players' strike wiped out the rest of the season. I wonder how many players never saw the bigs again after the strike, and how that would compare to a typical season. did ownership blackball anyone? did marginal guys decide they needed to move on with their lives and get real-world jobs sooner then would typically happen?

Edgy MD Mar 02 2015 10:58 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

I assume that last bit is at least partially true. But Baseball-Reference lists 140 players and 82 pitchers as having played their last game in 1994, but significantly greater figures are found in 1993 (178 and 84) and 1995 (187 and 104).

TheOldMole Mar 03 2015 04:38 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Anyone who makes it to the big leagues and contributes - as McKnight did, over a a few years -- cannot be described as lousy.

metirish Mar 03 2015 06:03 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

What a horrible obituary,what a hack. thankfully took some heat for this, not that he gives a damn https://twitter.com/BitterBillNYDN/stat ... 7976674304

Frayed Knot Mar 03 2015 06:16 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Well the obit might have been unnecessarily nasty and disrespectful but at least 'Bitter Bill' doesn't admit to being a drunken heckler or anything. Oh wait, he does that too.

TheOldMole Mar 03 2015 07:01 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Bitter Bill's slight gets more offensive every time I think about it. Here's what I wrote on "John wants to talk sports with you" on Facebook, and it covers my feeling: RIP Jeff McKnight. You were a Big Leaguer.

G-Fafif Mar 03 2015 08:43 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Didn't win a lot, but surely Jeff McKnight played.

d'Kong76 Mar 03 2015 09:27 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Damn shame, ten years is a long battle. Oh, and fuck you Bill!

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 09:44 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

I have a Jeff McKnight batting practice jersey in uni number 17, which Jeff hadda give up to Saberhagen.

G-Fafif Mar 03 2015 09:48 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Revisiting JCL's groundbreaking work on the McKnight of Many Numbers, it is amazing how cavalier Charlie Samuels was in passing along 17 and 18 in particular so soon after their best days. 5, too, I suppose, though I guess Davey Johnson was deemed persona not grata ASAP. Whatever one's feelings on digit-retirement, how does the guy from Tidewater keep rating prime numbers?

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 09:54 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

G-Fafif wrote: Revisiting JCL's groundbreaking work on the McKnight of Many Numbers, it is amazing how cavalier Charlie Samuels was in passing along 17 and 18 in particular so soon after their best days. 5, too, I suppose, though I guess Davey Johnson was deemed persona not grata ASAP. Whatever one's feelings on digit-retirement, how does the guy from Tidewater keep rating prime numbers? Charlie probably [rolls eyes in disbelief and mock sarcasm] forgot that those numbers belonged to Keith and Straw. [/rolls eyes in disbelief and mock sarcasm] [fimg=433]http://mbtn.net/images/torve-second.jpg[/fimg]

SteveJRogers Mar 03 2015 10:27 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Been looking at the All-Time Numerical Roster, and it seems it has been a thing since way before Samuels was ever in charge of such things: I.e. #36 used by the Wayne Twitchells and Danny Boitanos of the early 1980s Mets. #7 found its way onto John Christensen after Hubie Brooks took it over from Ed Kranepool. #45 bounced around in between Tug McGraw and John Franco and while one would expect Zach Wheeler to be its custodian for a while it has gone through Jason Isringhausen and Justin Hampson since Pedro Martinez took it from Franco, etc. While #8 was never as much of a hot potato as #17 was, it still made the rounds before the unofficial retirement since Carter got inducted into Cooperstown. The only two numbers (well, technically three, but with the above photo of Kelvin Torve and subsequent Rickey Henderson usage, Mays' 24 has been used) that were given the "NOBODY WEARS THIS EVER AGAIN" treatment without the official retirement have been #41 (only Seaver wore it from his debut through its official retirement) and #31 (hasn't been reissued). While its safe to assume using McKnight's distinction was meant to be yet another "dig" at the Wilpons' perceived lack of caring about Met history, the fact is, unless the former wearer was a no doubt future HOFer, the Mets have historically never really gave a flying fuck about numerical legacies.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 10:34 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

SteveJRogers wrote: ... the fact is, unless the former wearer was a no doubt future HOFer, the Mets have historically never really gave a flying fuck about numerical legacies. You nailed that one.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 10:37 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

batmagadanleadoff wrote: SteveJRogers wrote: ... the fact is, unless the former wearer was a no doubt future HOFer, the Mets have historically never really gave a flying fuck about numerical legacies. You nailed that one. Although, I see that 17 hasn't been issued since mid-2010, five years ago. That can't be a random coincidence, I'd suppose.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 10:39 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

No peeking. Who was the last Met to wear #5 before Wright?

Edgy MD Mar 03 2015 10:41 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Mark Johnson.

Edgy MD Mar 03 2015 10:42 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

GAH! Close. Peeked.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 10:43 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Edgy MD wrote: Mark Johnson. There's one five between Mark n Dave. Still, that's impressive ... remembering Johnson as #5. What was he a Met for, like 15 minutes? Okay, I exaggerate., but MJ's stint couldn't have been more than a few months.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2015 10:45 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Lunchbucket should know this cold, I would expect. He probably logged off to go and put on his pants with the security tag.

SteveJRogers Mar 03 2015 10:55 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: SteveJRogers wrote: ... the fact is, unless the former wearer was a no doubt future HOFer, the Mets have historically never really gave a flying fuck about numerical legacies. You nailed that one. Although, I see that 17 hasn't been issued since mid-2010, five years ago. That can't be a random coincidence, I'd suppose. Hernandez has been working the broadcast booth as a regular though for a lot longer, even before SNY, so if anything it might be a case of "OKAY KEITH, WE GET IT! FINE! INTO UNOFFICIAL RETIREMENT IT GOES!" since he has said on the air how certain players didn't look right wearing #17. But yeah, that, #8, #31 and #24 are the only 1-50 numbers that haven't been been used since that point.

G-Fafif Mar 03 2015 11:04 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Shinjo?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2015 11:07 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Lunchbucket should know this cold, I would expect. He probably logged off to go and put on his pants with the security tag. I was in a meeting. Shinjo?

dgwphotography Mar 03 2015 11:23 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: SteveJRogers wrote: ... the fact is, unless the former wearer was a no doubt future HOFer, the Mets have historically never really gave a flying fuck about numerical legacies. You nailed that one. Although, I see that 17 hasn't been issued since mid-2010, five years ago. That can't be a random coincidence, I'd suppose. Nope definitely looks like Samuels was giving Keith some kind of personal FU...

Edgy MD Mar 03 2015 11:26 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Mark Johnson. There's one five between Mark n Dave. Still, that's impressive ... remembering Johnson as #5. What was he a Met for, like 15 minutes? Okay, I exaggerate., but MJ's stint couldn't have been more than a few months. Parts of three seasons, but definitely an ephemeral tenure. Big, broadshouldered first basemen who wear little infielder numbers like five stand out in my mind. Like Mike Marshall in six, or Marv Throneberry in 2, or even Babe Ruth in three. It's like a chip on their shoulder. "Go ahead. Make fun of my little baby number. I'll crush you." Marshall starred in the MoFo Picnic game (wearing 20 at the time), playing like three positions on a day the Mets did their best to bench as many regulars as they could, and ultimately robbing a home run. That was the game that began the 2001 turnaround.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2015 11:29 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

I think Rogers was correct about Samuels and his employers not giving it much thought. The interesting thing about 17's disappearance is that it was actually offseason-issued to Cin-lung Hu (Who?) when he signed as a free agent but it was pulled before the games began after the predictable fan outcry. It shows that the new guy (Kierst) is more sensitive to this stuff than Charlie was.

Frayed Knot Mar 03 2015 12:02 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Keith has never (at least to my knowledge) complained publicly about his number not being retired. He's just moaned about it being given out to back-of-the-bullpen and light-hitting MI types -- the Koos and Louis Lopezes of the world. Like I've said before, I'm all for it if someone wants to take charge of distributing numbers a little less haphazardly than in the past (the Mets should hire JCL as a consultant for this task). It would certainly be an improvement over this whole quasi-retirement stuff which I dislike at least as much as I would a trend towards overly-active retired jerseys.

Ceetar Mar 03 2015 12:04 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

when they eventually retire 17 (if they do I guess) for Keith they should try to get as many of these players that worse it together to parade up to him in a 17 jersey, and ceremonially remove it and throw it in a pile.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2015 12:19 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

No they shouldn't. Geez if they really want to honor tradition, 17 should be the number they put the shittiest guy they can find in because with few exceptions that's all who've worn 17 starting with Don Zimmer! I gotta say this whole hysteria over number retirement has become about 15% genuine affection for players and their contribution to history; 10% fan desperation to realize some reward for theor passion and 75% hook for ignoramuses like Bill Price to hang their manufactured outrage upon.

SteveJRogers Mar 03 2015 12:29 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: No they shouldn't. Geez if they really want to honor tradition, 17 should be the number they put the shittiest guy they can find in because with few exceptions that's all who've worn 17 starting with Don Zimmer! I gotta say this whole hysteria over number retirement has become about 15% genuine affection for players and their contribution to history; 10% fan desperation to realize some reward for theor passion and 75% hook for ignoramuses like Bill Price to hang their manufactured outrage upon. Especially to play up supposed inferiority complexes when compared to how the MFY choose to honor their former players. Because Lord knows there is nothing hacks in the media love more as a way to get a rise out of Met fans is to bring up something in comparison with the Yankees.

Edgy MD Mar 03 2015 12:56 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

(deleted stuff) Wait, isn't this a McKnight thread?

G-Fafif Mar 03 2015 08:38 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

The collective guilt trip or standards of civility or something must've gotten to Mr. Price because his McKnight column has been shorn of "lousy" and all the other weirdness. Reads like a person wrote it now.

Edgy MD Mar 03 2015 09:27 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

I'm hot right now. Monday, I called the governor of Georgia, and the scheduled execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed. Yesterday, I wrote and tweeted Bill Price, and he spiked the nasty parts of his column. I rarely have this sort of effect, so if I can straighten out something for anybody, help you with a uncomfortable confrontation, now's the chance to ask me.

Ceetar Mar 04 2015 08:08 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Edgy MD wrote: I'm hot right now. Monday, I called the governor of Georgia, and the scheduled execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed. Yesterday, I wrote and tweeted Bill Price, and he spiked the nasty parts of his column. I rarely have this sort of effect, so if I can straighten out something for anybody, help you with a uncomfortable confrontation, now's the chance to ask me. I think their is a retail chain you can call for JCL.

Mets Guy in Michigan Mar 04 2015 08:32 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Edgy MD wrote: I'm hot right now. Monday, I called the governor of Georgia, and the scheduled execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed. Yesterday, I wrote and tweeted Bill Price, and he spiked the nasty parts of his column. I rarely have this sort of effect, so if I can straighten out something for anybody, help you with a uncomfortable confrontation, now's the chance to ask me. I know a prime minister from Israel is in your neck of the woods, and there's a proposed deal with Iran that he'd like scrubbed. Now that's a challenge!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 04 2015 09:19 AM Re: Good Night McKnight

Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: I'm hot right now. Monday, I called the governor of Georgia, and the scheduled execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed. Yesterday, I wrote and tweeted Bill Price, and he spiked the nasty parts of his column. I rarely have this sort of effect, so if I can straighten out something for anybody, help you with a uncomfortable confrontation, now's the chance to ask me. I think their is a retail chain you can call for JCL. Lol. The regional manager wants me to call him.

Edgy MD Mar 04 2015 02:01 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Bill Price: mensch. [fimg=480:2rsxr8r0]https://metsinpeace.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/me-and-bill.jpg[/fimg:2rsxr8r0]

batmagadanleadoff Mar 04 2015 03:45 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

G-Fafif wrote: Shinjo?

cooby Mar 04 2015 05:40 PM Re: Good Night McKnight

Edgy MD wrote: I'm hot right now. Monday, I called the governor of Georgia, and the scheduled execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed. Yesterday, I wrote and tweeted Bill Price, and he spiked the nasty parts of his column. I rarely have this sort of effect, so if I can straighten out something for anybody, help you with a uncomfortable confrontation, now's the chance to ask me. Edgy, do you think you could maybe say a good word to Father Winter and remind him it's March and he can go home now?