Brogna Can You Spare Some Time 2022

[Frayed Knot]

I have ZERO memory of Kyle Farnsworth being a Met

[Methead]

That MLB chatroom gag had him pinned. Another forgotten gem of baseball web 1.0.

The one that always clowned on Dmitri Young and Jim Thome? Yeah, I miss that.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

iJM THOME

[G-Fafif]

Nice story on Old Timers Day coming together, save for the unnecessary shot at Josh Thole.

In the aftermath of the Mets’ joyous announcement on Feb. 8 that they were going to hold their first Old-Timers’ Day in 28 years on Aug. 27, one question probably reverberated around the offices at Citi Field: How exactly do you put together an Old-Timers’ Day after not having had one since 1994?

For answers, the Mets turned to the one baseball team in America that knows how to put on an Old-Timers’ Day, having held one almost every year since 1947.

The Yankees. Who were only too happy to help.

It’s not exactly like Macy’s asking Gimbel’s for help (or, for the younger crowd, Google asking Microsoft).

The Mets and Yankees may be rivals on the field — at least for the four Subway Series games they will play in July and August — but share a city and an industry.

So when Mets vice president of alumni media relations Jay Horwitz needed some help, he reached out to Debbie Tymon, the Yankees’ senior vice president of marketing, to ask for advice on the massive logistical challenge that is Old-Timers’ Day.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Good luck,’ ” Tymon said. “The fans love the rivalries, but I think on the business side of the game, sometimes they don’t really always understand the challenges we all face. Sharing this type of information is a wonderful thing. There’s the baseball side of the business and then there’s just business. None of this is confidential or proprietary.”

Said Horwitz: “I was picking her brain. ‘How long are the introductions?’ The logistics of setting the game up. Debbie’s an old friend. She’s been very helpful to me.”

There was more to it than that, of course. Tymon described the process a bit like a large wedding, with “Save the Date” notices followed by invitations and then trying to figure out who is coming from around the country.

Then there are the financial arrangements. Each Old-Timer is given an “honorarium” for attending and also will receive a gift. The Mets settled on a snazzy ring for each participant, meaning the club had to find out the ring sizes for every single one of the 65 Old-Timers who as of this date have committed to attend (many of the names have been publicized, but the Mets have not yet released the complete list).

Second-year owners Steve and Alex Cohen have made honoring Mets history a priority. Already this season, the Mets have unveiled the Tom Seaver statue (which was commissioned under the previous owners and delayed by the pandemic), honored late 1969 Mets manager Gil Hodges for his Hall of Fame induction, and are retiring Keith Hernandez’s No. 17 on July 9.

“Steve and Alex have really been supportive of everything we’ve done,” Horwitz said. “They said, ‘Let’s just do it. Let’s do it the right way.’ And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Yankees, who are holding their first Old-Timers’ Day since 2019 on July 30, traditionally have an Old-Timers’ game after the players are introduced.

In 2019 — before the pandemic canceled Old-Timers’ Day in back-to-back years — Mariano Rivera hit an inside-the-park home run, played centerfield and (of course) picked up the save.

This year, the Mets’ Old-Timers are going to play a game. But the Yankees’ Old-Timers are not.

“We are not doing a traditional Old-Timers’ Day this year,” Tymon said.

“We are not going to have a three-inning game. I have several alumni on the injured list — a little hip replacement, a little knee replacement. So when that all came into play, you say to yourself, ‘We still have to bring back Old-Timers’ Day. There’s a clamoring from fans to see the alumni.’ So we’re modifying it and going in a different direction just to move forward this year and then hope to return to our standard event in 2023.”

Tymon said the Yankees are planning on having “well over 30” Old-Timers at their event, with the names to be announced shortly.

The Mets, who are celebrating their 60th anniversary, have a guest list that is nearly twice that. That’s because it’s the first time they’ve held the event in nearly three decades, and also because one of the lessons Tymon taught Horwitz was you have to invite a lot of former players — and a bunch of younger Old-Timers — if you plan to play a game.

For example, 35-year-old former Mets catcher Josh Thole is coming. Thole caught Johan Santana’s no-hitter and was R.A. Dickey’s personal backstop in his Cy Young Award season of 2012, but he’s no one’s idea of a Hall of Famer.

But he’s a catcher. And he’s able-bodied. So Josh Thole will be introduced among the legends on Aug. 27, and then will be asked to do a lot of squatting.

“I said, ‘Josh, you might have to catch for both teams,’ ” Horwitz said. “He said, ‘Do whatever you need me to do.’ You’ve got to get guys who can play. I was on a call with Mike [Piazza] and he said he’s practicing. Mookie [Wilson] said he’s getting in the cage a little bit, too.”

Yankees Old-Timers’ Day games used to be organized by former general manager and manager Gene (Stick) Michael, who Tymon called “the GM of the event.”

Michael passed away in 2017. Since then, former Mets and Yankees player Lee Mazzilli has helped out with the game, and he also offered Horwitz advice about how to stage one for the Mets.

“The Yankees do a phenomenal job with their Old-Timers’ Day,” Mazzilli said. “There’s no reason why the Mets are not going to do a great job with that, too. The most important thing is no one wants to be embarrassed out there. Baseball players or any athletes, they have that gene instilled in them, that competitiveness. You always want to do well whether you’re 30 years old or you’re 80 years old.

“We’ll have that all set up. You’re going to ask a player, ‘Hey, can you go out and play shortstop?’ And they might say, ‘Hey, I have a really bad hip. Can’t go out there.’ And then you say ‘OK, no problem.’ And then you might tell a pitcher, ‘Go out and play second.’ That’s the fun part of it.

“There’s some guys you just run out there and let them throw for one batter so the fans can see them. There’s no organization to it other than letting the fans enjoy seeing the players. You’re going to have a fan that’s 70 years old, 80 years old — they want to see the Art Shamskys.

“Then the younger generations want to see their favorites. That’s the beauty of it. ‘Oh, there he is. There’s that player.’ That’s all it is. There’s no rhyme or reason why someone is playing in what position or whatever. It’s just a good ol’ Sunday afternoon pick-up game that you want to see your favorite player play. Fans are going to see the players that are most recognizable when they were kids. They can tell their grandkids, ‘Hey, that was my favorite player back when.’ And the kid will say, ‘Who’s that?’ and then you’re able to tell that story about that player. That’s the beauty of the game of baseball — to share those memories.”

Tymon also advised Horwitz to prepare for a potentially hot late August day by having folding chairs ready for the more senior Old-Timers, stocking up on ice water and having at least two EMTs on duty in the dugout.

Those and a million other details are all it will take for the Mets to successfully hold their first Old-Timers’ Day in 28 years.

“We haven’t done this since 1994, right?” Horwitz said. “It should be nice. It should be a nice thing.”

https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball ... y-fm66awrx

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I was excited when I was a kid and went to an OTD back in the 70s, probably 75 or 76. I thought it would be a lot fun but tbh, I was sorta disappointed... I didn't know any of these old fat guys in the field, didn't fully understand why there were Yankees and Dodger there. Also think was expecting a better "game." Give me camera day I was thinking.

Today as an old fat guy myself, it kinda sounds like fun

[G-Fafif]

Looking over a list of those suspended from the Angels-Mariners brawl, I saw Dom Chiti, assistant pitching coach for the Angels, got five games. He is the son of 1962 Met Harry Chiti, who, as legends frames it, was traded for himself. Dom Chiti has been a coach and front office guy for many years (he was on Buck’s staff in Baltimore) but had escaped my notice until tonight.

[Edgy MD]

If somebody is going to escape my notice in baseball (and Dom Chiti has), assistant pitching coach of the Angels is the way to do it.

[kcmets]

Old Timer's Day is on my birthday. I will be officially old that day,
but not quite Social Security old just yet. Gonna try and get out there.

[G-Fafif]

Brooklyn’s own Bob Aspromonte wanted to be a Met in 1962.

The American League had expanded in 1961 and the National League took its turn the following year with the addition of Houston and New York, which had only one team since the end of the 1957 season. Aspromonte was hoping that the Mets would select him – a Brooklyn kid coming home – but it wasn’t meant to be.

The Colt 45s selected infielder Eddie Bressoud from San Francisco with the first pick, setting up the Mets to take Aspromonte. New York, however, grabbed catcher Hobie Landrith from the Giants before Houston took Aspromonte with the third pick. Legendary former Yankees manager Casey Stengel, who was in the twilight of his career, was named as New York’s manager as much for his box-office appeal as his managerial skills. When asked why the club chose Landrith, he responded “You gotta have a catcher or you’re gonna have a lot of passed balls”.

Naturally, Aspromonte was disappointed.

“I thought the Mets would take me and I was going to go back home,” he said. “Naturally, we were all waiting for it. That was the biggest surprise. [Houston GM] Paul Richards took the young kid. That’s how it started. It was a blessing because it opened a new tale and new city.”

Aspromonte was immediately penciled in as Houston’s third baseman and would go on to take his place in the annals of franchise history. The Colt 45s ended up trading Bressoud to Boston so Aspromonte became the first expansion draft pick in franchise history to play for the club. He would go on to be the franchise’s first batter, collect its first hit in the team’s first at-bat on Opening Day in 1962, a single off Don Cardwell at Colts Stadium. He scored Houston’s first run, drew its first walk and stole its first base.

“The recognition I get on a regular basis [because of the firsts] is there even today,” Aspromonte said. “They have this little video they show of Bob Aspromonte getting the first hit, saying that he did all these things. Every time they bring my name up it brings up all the old stories. I started seven seasons here at third base and it worked out very well.

“You have to remember one thing. I was a 21-year-old kid now getting to play every day. That first year I played over 150 games. That was a hell of a first year and it offsets everything else. So that experience alone offset it [not going to the Mets]. After one start, that’s all gone and it’s been a blessing for me.”

His wish came true in 1971.

Aspromonte saw his playing time diminish further in 1970 [127 at-bats] and he was traded to the Mets that December for Ron Herbel. He was, at last, coming home.

“That was the greatest feeling,” Aspromonte said. “[Mets manager] Hodges had tried to get me two years prior. When they had a problem with third baseman Wayne Garrett being in the service they needed someone and it was a great surprise. Gil kept mentioning it and for it actually happen, I’ll never forget it.

“I arrived in Spring Training and Gil and I were in his office and I gave him a big hug. The only thing I wanted to do was wear No. 14 and Gil said no Bobby, you get No. 2.”

Aspromonte got off to a solid start and was hitting .270 on June 1 before a calf injury later that month June set him back. When he returned to the lineup, he wasn’t the same and finished the season hitting .225 in 104 games.

“I had about five homers and was driving in runs and one game the pitcher threw a changeup and I hesitated,” Aspromonte said. “I stuck my leg out but I didn’t swing. I stopped because I was off center and I tore my left calf muscle. From there, it was very difficult.

“I had a fantastic first two months and I wished I stayed out longer instead of trying to come back too quickly. That was a big mistake. I came back too fast. When I came back I was conscious that I couldn’t move like I used to. It was uncomfortable and that was sad because I had been doing so well.”

https://ballnine.com/2022/07/18/aspro-the-astro/

[seawolf17]

Former Met Franklyn Kilome getting the start here in Rochester today for the Wings... and promptly gives up long home runs to two of the first three Scranton batters.

Dude's still got it.

[G-Fafif]

Bobby M. Jones helping to bring the New Jersey Jackals to Paterson's historic Hincliffe Stadium.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/newyork/new ... -paterson/

[MFS62]

Moved to the proper thread.
Later

[Edgy MD]

We generally use this thread for retired players.

[MFS62]

We generally use this thread for retired players.

I forgot we have an "All my Exes.." thread. Too busy thinking about FK's travel dilemma.
I'll post it there.
Thanks.
Later

[G-Fafif]

Bobby M. Jones helping to bring the New Jersey Jackals to Paterson's historic Hincliffe Stadium.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/newyork/new ... -paterson/

A little more on the Paterson initiative (which leaves Yogi Berra Stadium bereft of Frontier League play), with the city’s Met-lovin’ mayor wearing the colors and using the clichés.

Hinchliffe remained in use until 1997, when it was closed due to structural deficiencies. It’s been crumbling ever since, but Sayegh made reviving Hinchliffe a top priority as mayor.

Sayegh, who is big baseball fan, wore his New York Mets tie and socks to Wednesday’s announcement. He recalled taking a trip in 2009 to Birmingham, Alabama to see Rickwood Field, once home to the Black Barons of the Negro League, then returning home to Paterson with his own dream of restoring Hinchliffe.

“After 25 years of playing at Yogi Berra Stadium, the Jackals were looking to relocate,” Sayegh said. “Paterson stepped up to the plate, and said with the renovated Hinchliffe Stadium, it would make an ideal home for the New Jersey Jackals.”

https://www.nj.com/news/2022/09/jackals ... adium.html

“We’re not only bringing Hinchliffe Stadium back, we’re bringing life back to this neighborhood,” Sayegh said.

[G-Fafif]

Willie Mays was back at the ballpark last night. Doesn’t matter which one. The ballpark is where Willie belongs. His SF chronicler John Shea reported on his return, a heartwarming baseball story it’s a baseball fan’s obligation to share.

ALL-TIME GIANTS GREAT WILLIE MAYS LIGHTS UP ORACLE PARK WITH SURPRISE VISIT

By John Shea
San Francisco Chronicle

The ballpark was especially vibrant and cheerful Wednesday night because the legend of legends was in the house. For the first time since July 2021, Willie Mays visited Oracle Park and took in the friendly environment that greets him when he stops by his second home.

Mays, 91, who was advised to stay clear of big crowds during much of the pandemic and has been rehabbing from hip surgery, set a goal to get to the stadium before season’s end.

Mays arrived a few hours before the San Francisco Giants’ game against the Colorado Rockies and visited his old friend, Mike Murphy, the longtime clubhouse manager who was a batboy in 1958 when Mays and the Giants debuted in San Francisco.

“I came to see the guys, not to cause any excitement. I want to make sure I keep up with the guys,” Mays said in a clubhouse room Murphy set up for him. “I just hope I can keep my body strong enough to be back for spring training. There are just a few games to go this year, but these guys will be back strong.”

Mays sat in a wheelchair, and he and Murphy shared stories and laughs, as usual. One by one, Giants players entered the room and got a handshake from the Say Hey Kid, still one of the firmest in the game — “I miss all you guys,” he said at one point. “I never missed so many games in my life.”

CEO Larry Baer, executive vice president Mario Alioto, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and public-address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon were among those to pay their respects.

When outfielder Mike Yastrzemski entered, Mays mentioned he faced Carl Yastrzemski, Mike’s grandfather, in All-Star Games. “He could hit, man. Made me run around a little bit.” Mays told the younger Yastrzemski he likes him in center field — “Just don’t try to catch it my way (the basket catch). Catch it your way.”

Joc Pederson and J.D. Davis came by, and Mays asked them how many home runs they had — 23 for Pederson, 11 for Davis. “That’s not bad,” Mays said.

Mays told Zaidi, “You guys give me a lot of spirit,” and he called Murphy “my guy — we’ve been together a long time.”

Nearing the end of a disappointing Giants season, Mays told the truth to a couple of players when saying, “You guys need some help, man.” The players laughed and didn’t disagree.

Before the pandemic, Mays was a regular at home games, making himself available in the clubhouse to young players or anyone else who wanted to visit and say hello. He’d spend the first few innings in his suite above left field and return the next day. Even in spring training, Mays would be in Scottsdale throughout camp and religiously attend home games, at least until mid-March 2020 when the pandemic shut down the game.

Once that season began, folks weren’t allowed into ballparks, and Mays was asked to shelter in place, needing to wait until May 7, 2021, to make a triumphant return to 24 Willie Mays Plaza. It was his 90th birthday celebration, coming in a homestand opener the day after he turned the big nine-oh.

That day, even with attendance still limited — the crowd count was 9,219, many in masks — the franchise icon was in his element and joyful that he was in the presence of fans, reveling in shared positive vibes as Mays did a lap around the warning track in a 1956 turquoise and white Oldsmobile convertible.

Mays’ visit Wednesday was a bit more subtle, but it meant the world to him. His body, mobility and eyesight aren’t what they were — he has been dealing with issues associated with life at age 91 — but his sharp mind keeps him in his prime, and he still can read the room as easily as he can light it up.

Mays was accompanied by his son, Michael; longtime assistant and friend, Rene Anderson; his physician, Dr. Carla Pugh; and helper Samoa Palauni. Even Willie’s beloved dog, a poodle named Giant, came along.

“Mr. Mays is doing amazing from a cognitive perspective and is making great progress in his rehab for his physical strength,” Pugh said. “Cognitively, he is at the the top of his game. It’s rare to have the situation awareness that he has, and that bodes well for his rehab. I’ve never seen anything like that from a 91-year-old.”

Mays is looking forward to the new documentary about him, which has his blessing and will air on HBO shortly after the World Series. He remains involved in his Say Hey Foundation, which benefits needy youth, and let it be known the second class of the Willie Mays Scholars — a college preparation and need-based scholarship program supporting Black youth living in San Francisco — was honored by the Giants this season.

Last month, Mays got emotional when the New York Mets retired his number 24 during an Old-Timers Day celebration at Citi Field, carrying through on a pledge made by former team owner Joan Payson, who had vowed to retire the number, but she died two years after Mays retired as a Met. On Wednesday, Mays said he wanted to call current Mets owner Steve Cohen to thank him.

Although the Giants will miss the playoffs, momentous news has been made around MLB. While Mays was in the clubhouse, Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run, tying Roger Maris’ American League season record. Albert Pujols has 700 homers, joining the likes of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Mays’ 660 stood third in history for 30 years, and now it ranks sixth. When Pujols reached 660 in September 2020, Mays welcomed him aboard and said, “If I were to send him a message, I’d say, ‘Congratulations. Don’t stop there. Keep going.’ That’s sports.”

It came at the height of the pandemic, and Mays noted, “This is good for baseball, too. It comes at a good time. We need to have something going on right now.”

Mays has been in the Giants’ organization most of his life, as a player from 1950 through 1972 and as an ambassador, instructor and assistant to the president from 1986 to the present. He received a lifetime contract from former owner Peter Magowan in 1993.

[Edgy MD]

Albert Pujols can hit 700. Aaron Judge can hit 61. Willie Mays just showing up is a bigger story than either, for me.

[G-Fafif]

Albert Pujols can hit 700. Aaron Judge can hit 61. Willie Mays just showing up is a bigger story than either, for me.

I love this line.

I also love that Willie Mays is around to, if he chooses, monitor the progress of the first Met born in the 21st century.

[MFS62]

As Monte Irvin said when he reflected on Giant personnel maneuvers of the early 1950s four decades later, “What the hell do you care how old he is as long as he can play?”

We hope Francisco can.
Nice quote.
Later

[G-Fafif]

Masato Yoshii, once managed by Bobby Valentine, will manage a team once managed by Bobby Valentines.

https://nordot.app/951045129052307456?c ... 8979519395

[MFS62]

Ex-Mets minor leaguer Pedro Grifol is interviewing for the Marlins' manager position. (reprinted from NJ.com)
https://sports.yahoo.com/m/0d1d21f8-0e9 ... ct-to.html

Later

[G-Fafif]

Masato Yoshii, once managed by Bobby Valentine, will manage a team once managed by Bobby Valentines.

https://nordot.app/951045129052307456?c ... 8979519395

And Kaz Matsui is the new manager of the Seibu Lions.

https://www.nippon.com/en/news/kd953248 ... 70560/amp/

[Edgy MD]

With Tsuyoshi Shinjo (Fighters), Kazuhisa Ishii (Golden Eagles), and Shingo Takatsu (Swallows), that's five out of 12 NPB teams currently skippered by Brognas.

What we're looking at here is a takeover. You just know it's only a matter of time before Norichika Aoki grabs that opening with the Orix Buffaloes.

[stevejrogers]

BatMagadanLeadoff may have to change handles!

Dave Magadan not returning to the Rockies in 2023.

So…HireMagadanAsBattingCoach 🤔😉

[MFS62]

Jake Reed was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox.
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseb ... by-boston/
Later