The off-the-track edition
And now our almost daily look back at things we almost wrote a post about:
- I was quite pleased to note that the former Met for whom I took my screen name was promoted to hitting coach of Norfolk until I remembered that the Mets no longer house their AAA team in Norfolk. My apologies to Buffalo for temporarily forgetting you, and my congratulations to Richie Hebner on the promotion.
- Though originally published Friday, 3 days to think about it haven’t allowed me to understand the “logic” any better. Maybe you can help. Alden Gonzalez of mlb.com says regarding the remaining free agent starting pitchers in a paragraph with the bold title The Steady Hands that “Joel Pineiro pretty much leads a free-agent-starters class composed of relative innings-eaters at the top.” Then in the very next paragraph Gonzalez says of Pineiro “The 31-year-old right-hander had an uncharacteristic type of standout year for the Cardinals in 2009…” So my question is this: is Pineiro the “leader of the ‘Steady Hands?’” or is he a guy coming off an “uncharacteristic standout year?”
- Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog takes a look at comparing the offensive environments of the different leagues in which the Mets system fields teams. Prepare to have your assumptions about BABIP blown to smithereens.
- SI’s Jon Heyman says that free agent starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn is “drawing interest from the Mets.” This should not be confused with the kind of interest that Bobby Bonilla will soon be drawing from the Mets.
- While it was not in any way, shape or form his point, Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times nonetheless informs those Met fans in his audience that are capable of reading between the lines, and who may have been as sad as a crying child that former Met (among other teams) Roberto Alomar did not make the Hall of Fame this year, that Alomar will almost certainly make it next year and even if he doesn’t, such other former Mets as John Franco, Mike Piazza, Julio Franco, Tom Glavine and Jeff Kent all become eligible for election over the next half-decade. So take heart Met fans, we may be able to watch former Mets making gracious Hall of Fame induction speeches while wearing the caps of other teams very often over the next few years.
- Finally tonight, Mark McGwire, a player who retired with 583 career home runs, admitted he used performance enhancing drugs. In a month or so he officially begins the next chapter of his career, coaching major leaguers in the art of hitting for the St. Louis Cardinals. Presumably he’ll teach them a clean way to succeed.
1 comment
metsfan4decades
1/11/2010-7:15pm at 7:15 pm (UTC -4)
Watched the MLB network coverage of McGwire’s admitted steroid use and the now interview with Costas. McGwire’s having a hard time getting through this. Has to keep stopping so he doesn’t break down. Having a hard time getting through his apologies. Said he called Roger Maris’ widow to personally apologize to her. I’m sure that wasn’t easy to get through.
Harold Reynolds made a point earlier that many players who claim they didn’t use have said. He believes his career was cut short by about 5 years b/c he wasn’t a power hitting 2nd baseman, by any means. He said the game changed as such that his style of getting on base, bunting runners over, etc., was no longer coveted, they were looking for more power hitting infielders. With that said, he had nothing but good things to say about McGwire and thinks him coming out now can is a good thing.
I really have no strong feelings about these guys who used before MLB officially banned it. If you look back through the years, how had alcohol, amphetamines, etc. helped certain players during certain eras.
What I have a problem with is the Clemons type players who out and out lied about it to Congress, to MLB, to the fans. Why not just admit it, when asked? To me, those are the real cheesy guys, not all those who used before the ban.
I do agree though with the official ban now. This is at least attempting to put all players on an even playing field, across the board.