Archive for Uncategorized

150 Days, but Who’s Counting

November 6, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Baseball is a very humbling game. Just saying, Joe. And you don’t ask Shelly Duncan for his number, you take it while he’s drunk.

21With the offseason officially underway and the countdown to April 5 already begun, two future ex-Mets already filed for free agency and as far as I’m concerned can beat it. See you later, Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider.

Delgado is obviously a terrific talent and really made the difference in 2006 but like way too many Omarian acquisitions his best days were behind him and he spent entirely too much time nursing injuries and maybe a few grudges as a Met. He made pretty clear in 2005 he didn’t care to be here anyway. Schneider in the meantime might be one of the most overlooked busts the Mets have ever had. In any other year, his 2009 stinking-up-of-the-joint would make him the target of vicious fan abuse and a major concern in the offense. But amid all the other bad news and bad players, he just about got away with it. Schneider’s 2008 was pretty rotten as well.

We’ll see what the Mets have in mind regarding the potential replacements for these guys, but I wouldn’t kill them for looking into what it might take to pry catcher Chris Iannetta from the Rockies. I tend to think the Mets might be best off holding their noses and getting Daniel Murphy a right-handed hitting platoonmate at first base while waiting to mix in promising prospect Ike Davis at first base. Garrett Atkins? Xavier Nady? Let’s think on it.

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All You Zombies Show Your Faces

October 29, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Quick note to inform everyone we’re still here, wearing our Phillie Phanatic Underoos and puzzling over the perceived lack of conviction among Met fans for rooting interests this World Series. We had some computer issues, busy work schedules and sickness, but will have new Met related stuff up soon.

Hey Met fans: Root for the Phillies. The way I see it, the Phils beat the Mets, they may as well beat everyone. And they’re the only team this postseason — certainly the first to face the Yankees — that hasn’t gone around playing the kind of embarrassing baseball we’ve already seen too much of this year. So if you’re still on the fence, don’t let rhe media trick you into buying Mets-Phillies as an overwrought drama in the vein of Red Sox-Yankees: Support your league, take what consolation you can in acknowledging the Mets fell to a terrific team, and hope the Phillies get their Phil this time around (if ever) and subsequently begin the the kind of sad death-spiral that all multichampionship teams eventually encounter.

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The 3,000 Hit Club

October 12, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Who said the Mets didn’t accomplish something this year?

While fans licked their wounds, Jeff Wilpon slandered other teams’ medical staffs and the writers commissioned sculptures of Derek Jeter, not one but two round-number milestones in Met history were toppled in the same week, and nobody even noticed.

Until now.

Congratulations to Carlos Beltran and David Wright. Your acts of tepid batsmanship as the season ground to a forgettable close resulted in the 3,000th all-time Mets hit for each of your respective uniform numbers. And your pursuit of this glory in the season’s final week made for a thrilling down-to-the-wire chase that went similarly unremarked upon.

Beltran reached the magic number Sept. 25 in Florida, when his single off Ricky Nolasco marked the 3,000th all-time safety for the No. 15 jersey. Three nights later in Washington, Wright rapped a double to right field off Ross Detwiler, marking hit No. 3000 for the No. 5s.

Wright then proceeded to out-hit his teammate 6-to-5 over the final four games, leaving No. 5 ahead of 15 by a single hit, 3,006-3,005.

Wright, who already is the Mets’ all-time leading No. 5, made good strides to tighten the overall race while Beltran was limited to 100 hits and Jose Reyes, representing the leader, No. 7, added only 41 hits the total in ’09. Also notable: Luis Castillo in No. 1 outhits the combination of Ramon Castro, Argenis Reyes and Anderson Hernandez in No. 11 to overtake fourth place.

Top Numbers by Hits, through 2009:

No.      Hits      Leader

7          3,441   Kranepool (1,252)

5          3,006   Wright (983)

15        3,005   Grote (994)

1          2,743   Wilson (1,112)

11        2,739   Garrett (667)

4          2,587   Dykstra (469)

12        2,542   Stearns (636)

9          2,519   Hundley (590)

17        2,509   Hernandez (939)

 

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Bad Guys Always Win on Amazin Tuesday

September 11, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Quick note to remind readers that the final Amazin’ Tuesday of the regular season is scheduled for this Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Two Boots Tavern on the Lower East Side. Join your fellow suffering fans for an evening of pizza, drink specials and futile rooting for the Mets to stave off their 81st loss of the season on the big-screen TVs, beginning at 7pm.

The special guest speaker that night is Jeff Pearlman, the former Sports Illustrated writer (and current SI.com columnist) and author of THE BAD GUYS WON, the dynamite revisiting of the triumphant 1986 season and easily one of the best books ever written about the Mets. Jeff’s writing career also includes books profiling Barry Bonds (LOVE ME, HATE ME), The Dallas Cowboys (BOYS WILL BE BOYS) and Roger Clemens (THE ROCKET WHO FELL TO EARTH) and he came out of the vaunted University of Delaware journalism program, so you know he’s got the goods.

Also on the bill that night: Greg Prince of Faith & Fear in Flushing; John Coppinger of Metstradamus, and, a live unveiling of the much-anticipated Top 10 Number Sixes in Mets History as delivered by yours truly. Trade in any Mets baseball card — even a 1991 Wally Whitehurst– for your first drink free!

Two Boots Tavern: 384 Grand Street 212-228-8685

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Number 9, Number 9

September 9, 2009 Uncategorized No comments

Company always arrives when you least expect it to doesn’t it?

I just now saw a link from Metsblog pointing to a list here of Number 9s in honor of today’s date 09-09-09. I recall Benito Santiago wearing that jersey for the Padres at one time. Anyhow, for more interesting reading, please visit this there list of the Mets’ top 10 9s published earlier this season.

 

And thanks for stopping in!

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10 Pair

September 8, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Gwreck wonders: Pending Phil Humber getting into a game, there will be no fewer than 10 (!) uniform numbers that were issued to more than one player during this 2006 season.

20 – Victor Diaz, Shawn Green
22 – Xavier Nady, Michael Tucker
25 – Kazuo Matsui, Pedro Feliciano
32 – Jeremi Gonzalez, Eli Marrero, Dave Williams
34 – Jorge Julio, Mike Pelfrey
36 – Henry Owens, Kelly Stinnett
39 – Pedro Feliciano, Roberto Hernandez
43 – Bartolome Fortunato, Royce Ring
49 – Roberto Hernandez, Phil Humber (pending)
59 – Alay Soler, Guillermo Mota

I’m pretty sure that’s a record.

It’s not! As with many season records concerning the Met population, 1967 dominates. In that year the Mets ran out a record 54 players, including 15 sets of like-number-wearing teammates, including four-of-a-kind at 38 (unfortunately, they weren’t Aces). In the example below, Nolan Ryanassumes Humber’s place as the rookie pitcher who saw no game action but occupied a jersey.

2 – Chuck Hiller, Phil Linz
5- Sandy Alomar, Ed Charles
6- Bob Johnson, Bart Shirley
18- Al Luplow, Joe Moock
19- Kevin Collins, Hawk Taylor
24- Johnny Lewis, Ken Boswell
26- Bob Shaw, Bill Graham
29- Danny Frisella, Nick Willhite
30- Dick Selma, Nolan Ryan
32- Jack Hamilton, Hal Reniff
33- Chuck Estrada, Bob Hendley
34- Jack Lamabe, Cal Koonce
35- Don Shaw, Billy Wynne
38- Ralph Terry, Dennis Bennett, Billy Wynne, Billy Connors
44- Bill Denehy, Al Schmelz

And there you have it. Great question!

In case you didn’t see it, MBTN’s meeting with the brilliant Paul Lukas of Uni Watch was published this week — there’s no higher recognition for a uni-centric web site. Be warned: Some language is not suitable for adults!

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I Would Not Feel So All Alone

September 8, 2009 Uncategorized No comments

The No. 29 jersey was issued for the fourth time this year when minor league soft-tosser Tobi Stoner was brought up for a look-see. This year’s previous occupants of 29 — Emil Brown, Robinson Cancel and Andy Green — accounted for 12 turns at bat (and two hits) between them. Could we see Stoner take Tim Redding’s next few starts already? What a disastrous signing that’s turned out to be

In the meantime No. 15, Carlos Beltran returned to the lineup and David Wright resumed the slumps he seemed to be experiencing back when they used to be teammates.

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The Thole Grail

August 31, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

30With many of the likely candidates already forced up to the big league level (and the playoff roster set!)  the Mets are expected to make few recalls now that the calendar turns to September and active rosters expand to 40.

One exception is Class AA catcher Josh Thole, who has been recalled from Binghamton and is expected to be in uniform No. 30 for the Mets’ game Tuesday in Denver. A lefthanded hitter with a nice swing but minimal power, Thole might already be an upgrade over Brian Schneider, whose Met career is grinding to a dreadful finish. Thole will be the first Met No. 30 since another catcher, Raul Casanova, early last season.

Thole will become the 52nd Met of the year, as 2009 approaches the team record of 54 players set in 1967.

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The Garment District

August 28, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

Or, 35 and Broadway: That’s the uni Lance Broadway turned up in yesterday, in his first appearance with the Mets since being acquired from the White Sox earlier this year for Ramon Castro. Broadway arrived when the Mets noticed something was wrong with Oliver Perez. Broadway is the first Met to suit up in 35 since Bazooka Joe Smith last season.

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Great. Who’d We Get?

August 25, 2009 Uncategorized One comment

That’s my question upon learning the Mets sucessfully vomited Billy Wagner onto the Red Sox like he was a lead in a 2006 NLCS game. Bye bye Billy.

Wagner’s spot on the roster will be filled by Pat Misch, up for the second time in the last few days. Misch was initially brought up when the Mets designated Andy Green for assignment, then demoted the next day when Ken Takahashi returned.

Meantime, you may have heard that Johan Santana joined the DL and will return in the spring. Presumably. He’s been replaced by Nick Evans. Just as earlier this year, in case you forgot: Misch is wearing 48; Takahashi is in 36 and Evans in the immortal No. 6.

I’d say more but I’m taking the week off!

 

 

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