Master Index of Archived Threads


By the time we get through with Phoenix we'll be rising

Frayed Knot May 03 2007 08:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 03 2007 08:33 AM

Subject heading for this KTE courtesy of Jimmy Webb [url=http://www.risa.co.uk/sla/song.php?songid=13674](sort of)[/url] for a four-day dust-up in the desert; Thursday through Sunday. The Snakes - coming off 3 straight sub-.500 (and one disastrous) seasons - are off to a better start this year (16 - 13) and have a different look than the team we beat 6 out of 7 last year including an old-fashioned butt-kicking in their place which was part of a 10-0f-11 road trip which put the rest of the NL East in our rear-views for good. Just now starting to taste the fruits of their 'rebuild from within' philosophy after ownership upheavals and shedding the leftovers from their 2001 championship run, their current roster features numerous homegrown players from recent drafts. Pitching a lot better than they're hitting these days as they're trading 1st place with the Dodgers in much the same way we are with the Braves these days, they've gone through the highs and lows that seem to follow rebuilding teams and, for whatever reason, all those kookie NL West teams. They've recently followed up a 5-game losing streak with a 6-game winning streak. [uGame 1: Thursday - 9:40 -- Glavine v Micah Owings Their 3-round pick in 2005, Owings makes his 4th ML start: 15.1 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 14 Ks Game 2: Friday - 9:40 -- Maine v Randy Johnson (L) This will be the 3rd game back following a trade back to Arizona and off-season back surgery for the surly unit: 11 IP, 8 ER, 13 H, 5 BB, 12 Ks Selected NYM hitters against Johnson: Reyes = .375 (6 for 16); Alou = .571 (8/14) 1 HR; Easley = .123 (4/33) Game 3: Saturday - 9:40 Park v Brandon Webb Or at least we think it'll Park. He's on schedule for it though no one has yet confirmed that he'll be given another start after his not-so-good (though not helped by his 'D') first outing. Webb is the reigning CY winner: 6 GS, 2 - 1, 3.21 ERA, 1.33 WHiP Alou = .478 (11 for 23), 2 HRs; Wright = .500 (6/12); Delgado = .111 (1/9) Game 4: Sunday - 4:40 -- Pelfrey v Livan Hernandez Pelfrey staved off a trip to New Orleans with a bounce back (after the 1st inning anyway) performance on Tuesday. So what's left to say about Duque's half-brother? He's old, fields well & hits well, and will give up his share of baserunners yet still manage to muddle his way through into the late innings more often than not: 6 GS, 2 - 1, 3.55 ERA, 1.50 WHiP Green = .345 (19 for 55) 3 HRs; Wright = .393, (11/28) 4 HRs; Easley = .179 (5/28) The Lineup: 1B - Conor Jackson - a 1st round pick in 2003, he's off to a slow (read: NO Power) start after a good rookie season in 2006 - (.219/.354/.266) 2B - Orlando Hudson - Snagged two years back from Toronto in the Troy Glaus deal, off to a great start with the bat and his usual outrageous range in the field - (.348/.412/.500) SS - Stephen Drew - JD's baby brother was their top pick in 2004. He didn't sign until 2005 when the traditional Drew/Boras hold-out dance was over, then was up for good by mid-2006 - (.240/.319/.330) 3B - Chad Tracy - home-grown player in his 4th ML year with the club. May sit against LHPs (.292/.370/.472) LF - Eric Byrnes - Ex A & ex O has a reckless style which causes some sportscasters to over-sing his averageness. (.286/.357/.446) CF - Chris Young - Not to be confused with the 6' 10" San Diego pitching Chris Young, this rookie (70 ABs last year) was a throw-in in the deal that sent Javier Vazquez to the ChiSox for El Duque. He then blossomed in the Arizona system to become one of the more highly touted young hitters in the game - (.211/.265/.400) RF - Carlos Quentin - Another 1st round pick (10 slots after Jackson) from 2003. (.229/.362/.354) C - Chris Snyder - Miguel Montero - Robby Hammock None of this 3-headed catching platoon is hitting all that much. Hammock also plays other positions and has been tabbed (at least temporarily) as Randy Johnson's "personal catcher" even though they're taking great pains not to call it that (who knew RJ was picky?) Bench - Alberto Callaspo - young player snagged from the Angel system is playing as the all-purpose utility guy. May see time at 3rd vs LHPs Tony Clark - aged and limited, but still an occasional power threat off the bench (4 HRs in 50 ABs) Scott Hairston - Brother of ML player Jerry Jr., son of Jerry Sr., nephew of Johnny, and grandson of Sam Hairston, will fill in LF The Pen: Jose Valverde (closer): 10/11 Saves, 1.64 ERA, 1.55 WHiP Brandon Medders - 13.0 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.54 WHiP Brandon Lyon - 12.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.75 WHiP (this team leads the legue in Brandons) Tony Pena - (no, not that one ... or even related to him) 16.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 0.92 WHiP Doug Slaten (L) - closest thing to a LOOGY. 11 G, 7.1 IP, 1.23 ERA

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2007 08:25 AM

They also have a new look in that they ditched the purple/aquablue/gold/black duds for red & black.

metirish May 03 2007 08:28 AM

Thanks for the KTE FK,nice work,can't say I like the new uniforms,they look like ones a college would wear.

Edgy DC May 03 2007 09:09 AM

I think big-league teams should look like big-league teams. I guess the brick red is a little different, but (1) there's too much red, and (2) I dislike solid tops a lot. But brick-and-black (or any red/black) is a combination nobody else has used. There have been 19 Brandons in big-league history none debuting before May 2000 (Brandon Kolb and Brandon Villafuerte). It's an underpublicized story of invasion, conquest, and Beverly Hills 90210.

Benjamin Grimm May 03 2007 09:17 AM

I agree. I like the color scheme, don't like the solid colored jersey. The only color a jersey should be is white or grey, although I guess I can accept black for road uniforms.

HahnSolo May 03 2007 09:23 AM

Lots of good times in the desert the past two years (8-0 record, cumulative 76-16 score). Let's try and keep that up.

metirish May 03 2007 09:26 AM

When I think of the Mets going to AZ I think of Kaz Matsui....was it on the trip last year that he made his 06 debut....something happened.

Nymr83 May 03 2007 09:30 AM

I like the jerseys, the old ones were ugly, purple should not be a team color in a Mens sport, and I'd have to think it hurt sales (it certainly hurt them at my undergrad school where the colors were a disgusting purple and gold, needless to say everyone just bought white ones)

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2007 09:57 AM

I just don't get where Phoenix = red and black. I associate the Southwest with that Native American art movement, painted desert kinda stuff. Distinct blues and greens and sand, right? I know they're trying to say the new reds reflect the Sedona area but it really doesn't. Sedona is more clay pot than brick. Their insistence of getting black into the mix in both unis also kills them, not to mention the name Diamondbacks (aka Dbacks aka d-bags) is unweildy and stupid. names that would have been better: Snakes Rattlers Coyotes Scorpions Spiders Tarantulas Alice Coopers

Edgy DC May 03 2007 09:57 AM

Nymr83 wrote: I like the jerseys, the old ones were ugly, purple should not be a team color in a Mens sport Magic Johnson and Fran Tarkenton did OK in purple.

Benjamin Grimm May 03 2007 09:58 AM

I would have named them the Phoenix Firebirds, after the longtime AAA team.

soupcan May 03 2007 10:09 AM

I dislike taking state names in lieu of the cities that the teams play in - and don't even get me started on 'New England' Patriots and 'Golden State' Warriors... Names that are better than the current ones: Phoenix Rattlers (Arizona Diamondbacks) Denver Bears (Colorado Rockies) Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins - there appears to actually be a groundswell for this one btw) Tampa Bay Ibises(?) (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) Washington Senators (Washington Nationals) Dallas Cowboys (Texas Rangers - why not? St. Louis did it.)

Edgy DC May 03 2007 10:18 AM

Tampa Bay is also a regional designation designed to encompass the whole Tampa/St. Pete region. Tampa natives hate that visitors who know their town primarily through their sports teams (like most of us know most towns) call their city Tampa Bay.

Centerfield May 03 2007 10:26 AM

Eric Byrnes seems really scared of whatever he's running from.

soupcan May 03 2007 10:34 AM

Color me an ignorant vistor. Okay then how about 'The Tampa Strip Clubs'? Take that 'natives'.

Edgy DC May 03 2007 10:42 AM

Centerfield wrote: Eric Byrnes seems really scared of whatever he's running from. Mis Edgy's comment: "He looks like a T-Rex is behind hm."

Edgy DC May 03 2007 10:43 AM

soupcan wrote: Dallas Cowboys (Texas Rangers - why not? St. Louis did it.) I'd like to see them actually try to wear a workable verison of cowboy hats in the field.

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2007 10:46 AM

I think TBs stadium is actually in St. Pete (rather, at the offramp leading to StP).

Willets Point May 03 2007 10:46 AM

I recall that the very first time the Devil Rays played the Mets (a game I attended that featured Rick Reed's near perfect game), the scoreboard at Shea said simply "Tampa." Devil Rays officials protested that their name is "Tampa Bay." The next game the scoreboard simply read "Rays".

Iubitul May 03 2007 11:52 AM

soupcan wrote: Dallas Cowboys (Texas Rangers - why not? St. Louis did it.) That would be considered blasphemy

Benjamin Grimm May 03 2007 12:10 PM

I looked up some names of former minor league franchises, and Dallas has, historically, been home of the Rangers. Sometimes known as the Dallas Rangers, sometimes as the Dallas Fort-Worth Rangers. Somewhat surprisingly, I didn't find any minor league teams in Tampa. Phoenix had been the home of the Giants (which they obviously couldn't have used) and the Firebirds. Kansas City was the home of the Cowboys and the Blues. Their Negro League team was the Monarchs. (I wish the AL expansion team had used that name and let the Montreal team use Royals.) And way back in the Federal League they had the Packers. Toronto had the Canucks and the Maple Leafs. Seattle had the Steelheads, the Siwashes, and the Rainiers, plus the Indians and the Angels. Source: http://www.jessearquette.com/baseball_teams.html

Frayed Knot May 03 2007 12:20 PM

The main reason for those 'regional' names is a fear of upsetting those NOT from within the city limits. IOW, if you name the team after Phoenix then the chamber of commerce poo-bahs in nearby Scottsdale and Tempe won't throw their weight behind the team. Ditto 'Tampa Bay' (Tampa vs St. Pete) and 'Minnesota' (Minneapolis vs St. Paul) etc. Much of the fight in South Florida involves changing (or not) the name depending on where (and if) the money for the proposed new stadium comes from. If the city of Miami pays (or takes from their citizens and gives to the team ... but that's a seperate agurment) they're gonna want their name in lights. The reason is was originally dubbed 'Florida' is because they were so happy to beat the Tampa area to getting a team that they wanted to "claim" the state for themselves. And yes, the folks in Tampa/St Pete were pissed. Now I realize that you & I couldn't care less about this sort of stuff but we're not in the whoring for votes business. Those who are care a lot.

Frayed Knot May 03 2007 12:23 PM

]Dallas has, historically, been home of the Rangers. Sometimes known as the Dallas Rangers, sometimes as the Dallas Fort-Worth Rangers. NYC's hockey Rangers were originally owned by entertainment magnate Tex Rickard (sp?) and the name came from being called Tex's Rangers. * I'm Dave Magadan!

Edgy DC May 03 2007 12:40 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 03 2007 12:47 PM

There was a brief movement while the Expos were nameless to name the Nats-to-be the Grays, as Griffith Stadium --- though it wasn't the home to the Homestead Grays --- was sort of their home-away-from-home in the thirties and fourties.

Benjamin Grimm May 03 2007 12:43 PM

I liked that name. They would have/could have/might have been the only team to wear grey on their home uniforms.

Gwreck May 03 2007 06:32 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I think TBs stadium is actually in St. Pete (rather, at the offramp leading to StP). Nope, it's definetly in St. Pete. A city that might even be worse then Tampa.

metirish May 04 2007 07:25 AM

Ron didn't like the D-Backs uniforms either,thought they looked like college unis,Gary thought they looked a lot like the Astro uniforms...

Edgy DC May 04 2007 08:58 AM

I'm thinking David Wright chose the wright time to heat up with Moises not looking so hot for the near future. Easley, as has been noted, hasn't really touched Johnson. He's 4-33 with a double and a walk in 34 plate appearances. No, wait, make that 37 plate appearances. The maniac has also hit Easley three times. An .081 plunk rate seems high for a righthanded batter against a lefthanded three-quarter-slinging pitcher.

sharpie May 04 2007 09:11 AM

Valentin, however, is 0-for-15 against Johnson so compartively speaking Easley is da man. Everyone else on the Mets seems to hit him pretty well.

metirish May 04 2007 09:13 AM

I read today that the Mets beat out a few other teams to sign Easley,one of those teams was the yankees. Anyone here been to the Bob,I'd love to see a game there.

Johnny Dickshot May 04 2007 09:21 AM

I've been there twice. I found it an ugly building from certain angles on the outside, just a box with giant Miller Lite advertisements on it. Inside, its nice, amenity-wise -- but like watching baseball indoors. In Phoenix you encountrer more displaced Cubs fans than Dback fans

Edgy DC May 04 2007 09:29 AM

I guess that sort of makes it Tampa West. That also explains why Mark Grace is treated like Da Bomb, even though he sounds pretty loutish on broadcasts.

metirish May 04 2007 11:28 AM

Interesting article on a D-Back single A pitcher. [url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-neighborgall050307&prov=yhoo&type=lgns]Jason Neighborgall[/url]