Ryota Igarashi trying to get things squared away in NYC before the start of Spring Training is unable to leave Tokyo due to the pending snowstorm. According to David Lennon of Newsday.
Feb 09
Mets: Igarashi Trapped In Tokyo
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76 comments
rustyjr
2/9/2010-8:32pm at 8:32 pm (UTC -4)
are you sure its not that the wilpons didn’t have any money to spring for the ticket?
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
Rumor has it Mets will file a grievance with MLB if he is not at Spring Training on time because they told him to take the All-Inclusive Cruise to Disney World that left back on Feb 1st.
rustyjr
2/9/2010-8:38pm at 8:38 pm (UTC -4)
does that mean he will be a indentured servant , forced to work in the ” it’s a small world” exhibition?
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-8:40pm at 8:40 pm (UTC -4)
You sure your not Carlos Mencia?
rustyjr
2/9/2010-8:41pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
you don’t remember the family guy episode where stewie was abducted and forced to sing – ” its a teeny tiny world ” ? lol
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-8:43pm at 8:43 pm (UTC -4)
lol, yep classic.
They love to rip Disney.
Hazmet
2/9/2010-9:14pm at 9:14 pm (UTC -4)
They deserve it. I had to go to Disney Institute Training for the company I work for and the Disney employee’s are like a cult. They gave out little Disney character figures for correct answers. It was quite a bizzare vibe.
rustyjr
2/9/2010-9:15pm at 9:15 pm (UTC -4)
do you strip naked and dance around the diemboodied head of uncle walt? while singing zipideedooda and the petes dragon theme?
Hazmet
2/9/2010-9:17pm at 9:17 pm (UTC -4)
Only under the full moon.
rustyjr
2/9/2010-9:20pm at 9:20 pm (UTC -4)
dude don’t go commmando lol
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-9:22pm at 9:22 pm (UTC -4)
LOL!!!!!
Hazmet
2/9/2010-9:28pm at 9:28 pm (UTC -4)
Whatta ya mean go…
rustyjr
2/9/2010-8:38pm at 8:38 pm (UTC -4)
OHHH NOOOO THEY SAY HE’S GOT TO GO – GO GO RYOTA !!!
Hazmet
2/9/2010-9:15pm at 9:15 pm (UTC -4)
Ah, A little Soft White Underbelly
rustyjr
2/9/2010-9:23pm at 9:23 pm (UTC -4)
yes it was awesome hanging with eric, buck, alan bobby da belly and danny im now in queen miranda lol
stickguy
2/9/2010-8:50pm at 8:50 pm (UTC -4)
maybe he got recalled?
Oh wait, that’s 10 million Toyots.
Never mind.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-9:01pm at 9:01 pm (UTC -4)
Now I must get LOST. Be back after 10:00pm
rustyjr
2/9/2010-9:04pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
ugh – another stupid t.v show like caprica – watch psych and burn notice !!! oh family guy too
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-9:31pm at 9:31 pm (UTC -4)
I’m a Fantasy Sci-Fi guy for the most part. I started watching Caprica because of the fond memories of Battle Star Galactica but if the story doesn’t start to develop soon I wont be watching much longer.
Lost is very good but you have to have had been watching from day 1 or else there is no point. Looking forward to seeing how it all ends.
Best show on TV right now for me is Fringe. Other shows I follow are Heroes, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Leverage, Chuck (It’s the Greatest American Hero all over again).
Not into the cop shows but while it lasted Life On Mars was great.
Comedies not my thing but I don’t miss Community and Parks and Recreation.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-9:46pm at 9:46 pm (UTC -4)
The Three Movies that shaped my preferences for the rest of my life were.
1.)Jaws
2.)Star Wars
3.)Clash of the Titans
And that is without talking about my love of Anime.
For example anything from Hayao Miyazaki or Anime like HellSing, AppleSeed, Dragonball Z, Naruto, TV series like Avatar The Last AirBender. I can go on forever but I find not many people I know share my interests. This is prob as much as I will talk about Anime for months.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-9:51pm at 9:51 pm (UTC -4)
Ghost In The Shell!
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-10:00pm at 10:00 pm (UTC -4)
Ive watched Ghost in the Shell it’s one of the more popular Anime that I just never got into. I tend to lean more toward the Martial Arts and Vampire type Anime.
For example Ninja Scroll and Blood.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:08pm at 10:08 pm (UTC -4)
Oh well it’s the only full length anime movie I’ve ever seen I thought I’d throw it out there. For me the most memorable thing about it was that U2 did the closing credits song.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:13pm at 10:13 pm (UTC -4)
It’s not anime but have you ever seen this movie?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-T7yPJVvXw
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-10:23pm at 10:23 pm (UTC -4)
WoW now I can definitely say I never saw that. Makes me happy to have gone to school here.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:30pm at 10:30 pm (UTC -4)
I loved that movie. Near-future Japan, the country is in turmoil economic and otherwise. They can’t afford to school their children so as kids advance from middle to high school they have to fight to the death for the right to go on as it’s all filmed for a reality TV show for the masses. I was stunned by that plot and loved how it unfolded in the movie. Even with subtitles i was gripped throughout. Very graphic bloody violent but just IMO great story.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-10:32pm at 10:32 pm (UTC -4)
If you ever want to watch a Great foreign film I had a friend lend me this and it is Epic.It’s called “Tae Guk Gi” It’s about 2 brothers the older trying to keep the younger one alive after being forced to fight during the Korean War.
Here is the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCnyJZafn-w
Of course after I post it I find the US Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YppcjiC-yc
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:39pm at 10:39 pm (UTC -4)
Wow that does look good thanks for the tip. I saved the trailer so I can locate the info later. I found the Battle Royale DVD cheap on eBay back in the day. I’ll look around for this one when I have some extra cashish.
Below is one of the confrontation scenes from Battle Royale, but only watch it if you don’t mind watching a young man get stabbed repeatedly in the groin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXTcJM4xR0Q
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-10:58pm at 10:58 pm (UTC -4)
Kool!!! for a second there I thought she was going to do a Bruce Lee and taste her blood.
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-10:55pm at 10:55 pm (UTC -4)
Ghost in the Shell is very good. Akira is also amazing. What sold me, though, was Ninja Scroll. Doesn’t get better than Ninja Scroll.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:04pm at 11:04 pm (UTC -4)
Akira was great also. Oh and any anime (Ninja Scroll) where a chicks special ability (curse) is anyone that has sex with her dies is an anime I want to watch
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:07pm at 11:07 pm (UTC -4)
Well that convinced me, I’ll have to check out Ninja Scroll.
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:10pm at 11:10 pm (UTC -4)
It’s old school Japan. Some demons, a chick with a poisonous, er, power, and a dude with some pretty wicked sword skills.
Aww to the Yeah!
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:22pm at 11:22 pm (UTC -4)
LoL, “Aww to the Yeah!”
Nice….
stickguy
2/9/2010-9:59pm at 9:59 pm (UTC -4)
gonna need a bigger boat.
For all the negativity so we can send it out to sea!
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:10pm at 10:10 pm (UTC -4)
The tide may slowly be turning. If you can get through the math the conclusion is quite reasonable:
http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/2/9/1303241/do-the-media-and-blogosphere-owe
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-10:17pm at 10:17 pm (UTC -4)
And thanks for this one.
I may be more harsh and less mature in my reaction to the Nabobs than you two, but the tide had to turn.
Even if this season turns out to be a disappointment, the negativity being thrown at the Mets is moronic.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:25pm at 10:25 pm (UTC -4)
I think I agree with you. I separate the negativity into two categories: there’s the reasonably expressed disappointment that more wasn’t done, some of which I agree with; then there’s the completely over-the-top woe-is-me everything-is-horrible stuff that just makes me want to alternately either shrug and turn away dejected or punch someone in the face really hard. Probably that second category is what you’re referring to as moronic.
It’s the second thing that my brother is hoping is real for the people who are expressing it because he’s looking forward to shorter lines at Shake Shack. He said to me today “I want pictures, names and social security numbers of all these over-the-top negative people and they can never buy tickets to a Met game home or road ever again for the rest of their lives, they don’t deserve them.”
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-11:04pm at 11:04 pm (UTC -4)
I know I would like you, and I am pretty sure your brother must be a seriously cool chip off the old Hebner family block! I want a copy of those pics, names, and SS numbers when he gets them please….
Optimist as I am, I wanted Halladay bad, I wanted Lackey too, and I would have taken a shot at Sheets or welcomed Garland for 5th starter.
But I also remain open to the possibility that two of Pelf, Maine, and Ollie can be good pitchers.
But as I said earlier, it is Feb 9, another snowstorm is brewing, Reyes is in shape, Ollie is in shape, Johan is healthy, Pelf is mocking us for questioning him, FMart is winning awards, and Murph is in FLA working with Keith–what kind of a jackass cannot muster some positiviality right now?
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:08pm at 11:08 pm (UTC -4)
Kingman, I was big on Halladay as well. And after Grave’s series on stars for prospects… eh, nevermind.
And I still want Halladay. But knowing that holes might actually be filled through the minors is a little heart warming.
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-11:16pm at 11:16 pm (UTC -4)
I agree NJ–among my hopes for the season are that Omar has saved prospects and $$$ for midseason acquisitions of serious talent.
stickguy
2/9/2010-10:58pm at 10:58 pm (UTC -4)
nice piece. eventually the over the top media piling on had to rebound, and nice to see it starting to happen.
I particularly liked this line (which sums up my feelings pretty much):
“Had this same offseason been had by any other franchise, it would probably be drawing praise from the media and blogosphere as a whole. Omar could clearly have done more, but what he has done has generally been positive as a whole.”
and, unless of course the wallet really did snap shut, the off season still isn’t done.
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-10:20pm at 10:20 pm (UTC -4)
Another classic!
The taxidermy man’s gonna have a stroke when he sees what I brung him!
Hazmet
2/9/2010-10:30pm at 10:30 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, the Mets are out of money again as per Mattsblog as of an hour ago.
From what I can gather, oh excuse me, from what I can tell which is the new from what I can gather I guess they found another writer to cite the same thing some other source said a week ago.
If Mattsblog was an Oil Tanker they’d be the Exxon Valdez of negativity. God the season can’t start soon enough.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:33pm at 10:33 pm (UTC -4)
I like your analogy but I don’t love it because an oil tanker is far too massive a thing to just drift aimlessly changing course with the wind. Sorry. I’m “that guy.”
stickguy
2/9/2010-10:45pm at 10:45 pm (UTC -4)
well, if the dudes over on foxsports are right, maybe the Mets credit card was maxed out and they couldn’t pay for his ticket?
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Mets and Rangers encounter problems in signing a catcher — 6:19 p.m.
Two of the teams that could benefit from signing free-agent catcher Rod Barajas — the Mets and Rangers — appear hamstrung by complications at the ownership level.
The Mets, outbid by the Padres for catcher Yorvit Torrealba, are out of money, major-league sources say — a curious position for a team that spent $66 million on outfielder Jason Bay knowing it had other needs.
The Rangers, other sources say, are either A) at their payroll limit or B) unable to increase payroll in an ownership transition without approval from both the selling and buying groups.
The Rangers’ need at catcher stems from the uncertainty surrounding Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s recovery from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last September. The team also has explored the possibility of signing Jose Molina, but the addition of a catcher is neither close nor likely, one source said.
None of the Mets’ catchers — Henry Blanco, Omir Santos, Chris Coste and Josh Thole — is an established major-league starter. Thole, 23, had a September callup last season, but has yet to play at Class AAA.
The Mariners, another team in the market for catching, also have expressed interest in Barajas; Rob Johnson is coming off surgeries on both of his hips. However, the M’s at this point might be more likely to add a pitcher than a catcher.
— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-10:51pm at 10:51 pm (UTC -4)
Of course what fails to penetrate the “logic” of Rosenthal and Morosi is that Torrealba is not an “established major league starter” either. But of course if they note that then their only story is about Barajas, he of the .258 OBP in ’08 and .284 OBP career.
When your choices are Barajas, Torrealba or try making a starter out of someone you already have who hasn’t done it before, I don’t see how so many pundits think it’s so cut and dried that the right choice is the guys who’ve proven they suck. I swear I think these pundits are in league with the players’ union and they have to try and help keep guys in starter’s salaries because there’s no other explanation.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-10:53pm at 10:53 pm (UTC -4)
Let me ask you Grave how worried are you that Santos just may not be able to handle the rotation?
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-11:00pm at 11:00 pm (UTC -4)
Jerry and Warthen can most definitely call the pitches very easily from the dugout….or Blanco can.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:06pm at 11:06 pm (UTC -4)
Yea but if that was the case then why even consider Molina?
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:05pm at 11:05 pm (UTC -4)
Well if on a 1-10 scale not worried at all is 1, and extremely worried is 10, I’m probably a 5. I am aware of the possibility that he might not be able to but I don’t have a lot to go on.
I have looked at a stat at baseball-reference called tOPS+ which states that 100 is your (your being the pitcher) normal performance and a number less than 100 means you do better with a particular catcher, greater than 100 means you do worse.
With Santos:
Santana 110
Pelfrey 107
Perez 148
Maine 101
so they’re all worse than their own “normal” with Santos, although Maine’s difference is really negligible. All of them are small samples, he was only with the team a short time. I’m not worried about Santana because he has Blanco here with whom his tOPS+ is 87.
So I have a 5 on the worry scale which I guess would be higher if I didn’t feel very good about Josh Thole showing enough to make the club. My gut feeling based on nothing scientific is Thole will continue to learn in spring either enough so he makes the team right away or so that he’ll be up in about 6-8 weeks. If that fails, I think the Gustavo Molinas and Robinson Cancels of the world (if not specifically them, guys like them) are always a phone call or a minor league non-prospect deal away, and would be enough of a stop gap should Santos truly suck that much in larger samples.
stickguy
2/9/2010-11:09pm at 11:09 pm (UTC -4)
yeah, you can always find a decent catcher that can’t hit. Plenty of them around, including Blanco and Coste.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:18pm at 11:18 pm (UTC -4)
Yea but can the lineup carry a catcher that can’t hit?
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:10pm at 11:10 pm (UTC -4)
Guys like Ollie Pelfrey and Maine don’t necessarily exude this feeling that they have things under control.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:27pm at 11:27 pm (UTC -4)
That’s a fair point, I agree that they don’t, and to me that line of thinking was/is the only true justification for bringing in a veteran catcher as a starter. That is why my worry is a 5 and not a 1 or 2. If we had a solid veteran staff I wouldn’t give a hoot about Santos.
Coste is also an option we shouldn’t forget about, the Phillies won 92 games and a WS with guys like Kyle Kendrick, Brett Myers, Adam Eaton and Joe Blanton throwing to him. Those guys aren’t exactly the greatest thing since sliced bread.
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:13pm at 11:13 pm (UTC -4)
Do you have their numbers with Schneider?
Also, what determines the norm? Just the year or several years averaged?
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:30pm at 11:30 pm (UTC -4)
I will look up the numbers with Schneider and leave them just below here in a few minutes. I am looking at career numbers so these tOPS+ numbers are how any of these pitchers pitched in their career to the catcher as compared to how they pitched in their career to all catchers.
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:34pm at 11:34 pm (UTC -4)
Hmmm. makes one wonder just how much stock to put into the catcher thing. I know there is some validity to it, but when bone chips are in Santana’s elbow, Maine’s shoulder is bad, Ollies’ knee (or brain) have gone bad… Santos’s numbers may be bad based on a bad sample.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:43pm at 11:43 pm (UTC -4)
Santana with/
Schneider – 123 (25 games)
Santos – 110 (14 games)
Castro – 79 (19 games)
Blanco – 87 (24 games)
Pelfrey with/
Schneider – 90 (37 games)
Santos – 107 (16 games)
Castro – 89 (10 games)
Maine with/
Schneider – 111 (19 games)
Santos – 101 (7 games)
Castro – 72 (16 games)
Perez with/
Schneider – 86 (28 games)
Santos – 148 (5 games)
Castro – 100 (21 games)
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:46pm at 11:46 pm (UTC -4)
Based on those numbers, why did we let Darth Castro go!?! At least Blanco’s 1 set of numbers looks promising.
GravediggerHebner
2/9/2010-11:49pm at 11:49 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, based on this stat, not only was trading Castro the wrong idea, but when he was here he should’ve been the starter and Schneider should’ve been Perez’ personal catcher.
gategem
2/10/2010-2:18am at 2:18 am (UTC -4)
The Mets on the field and off the field management have shown that they place little stock in statistical analysis.
stickguy
2/9/2010-11:05pm at 11:05 pm (UTC -4)
the real question I have is who the MLB sources are, and how would they know if the Mets had any money left?
Although the piece seems to imply empirical knowledge, it really seems like outside observers leaping to conclusions based on the mets not wanting to offer more $ to yorvit, as opposed to wanting to but not being able to.
Of course, 2 weeks ago they were supposed to have 14mill in offers out to pin head and fat boy, so no idea where that budget money went.
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-10:59pm at 10:59 pm (UTC -4)
“The Mets, outbid by the Padres for catcher Yorvit Torrealba”
We all do realize that there is nothing remotely close to a shred of evidence to suggest this is true, right?
And the grievance situation makes it even less likely, if that is even possible.
Never, ever, have I longed for an offseason to END like I long for this one to end.
stickguy
2/9/2010-11:10pm at 11:10 pm (UTC -4)
agreed that we really, really need some actual baseball to distract us.
and if there is any justice (karma?) the Mets stay healthy this spring.
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-11:23pm at 11:23 pm (UTC -4)
Amen, amen, amen.
Health might be our biggest challenge this year.
Conquer it, and…..
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:24pm at 11:24 pm (UTC -4)
The horse ain’t dead yet, don’t you know? They are gonna beat the ever lovin’ snot out of that horsey did there isn’t enough to send to the glue factory. The panic has set into the masses and these story’s get the web hits. While not to the same extent as you, it does drive me crazy as well.
I think that other than a turn over in ownership (not sure that’s happening any time soon), or manager/GM (we can be hopeful), they need to revamp that marketing department. I want to see stories of Wright, Reyes, Maine, K-rod out there donating toys to babies, curing cancer, doing people’s taxes, whatever. Change the perception of the players and the team perception may follow. I hate the fact I even have to write this as this crap has nothing to do with the ability and the Game itself. With the 86 team being my all time favorite, I know I wouldn’t let my daughter within 100 yards of hanging with those guys. (she’s just over 1 1/2, but you get my meaning). But I didn’t care that their dollar bills were all curled into straws. I didn’t care about their personal lives. I loved that they played hard nosed baseball and that was it. If only the masses could get back to that. But then again, when the media is following the guys around these days, waiting to break a story of partying and such like the next brangelina story, what can we expect.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:32pm at 11:32 pm (UTC -4)
Wow NJ your comment took me way back.
I just had a flashback of this clipping I have from a famous sports cartoonist for the NY Daily News named Bill Gallo.
It is from the 89 season I believe of this character named Bertha telling this kid called Yuchie that you just can’t beat a dead horse with this Horse laying on the ground with flies around it and on it’s belly the name METS.
Classic!
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:39pm at 11:39 pm (UTC -4)
I miss me some Gallo.
The baseball season is almost upon us, basketball and hockey are in mid season stride, the superbowl just finished, and the 2 things they talk about down here on the radio or is read in the newspapers… Texas college football and what the draft is going to be like for the texans/cowboys. Sigh…
Go Go Gadget MLB Package and ASAP!
Kingman 26
2/9/2010-11:22pm at 11:22 pm (UTC -4)
Guys, thanks for being you once again.
My bro just got me a bottle of 18 year old Elijah Craig and Donnie Brasco just started on Showtime, so I am out. Al Pacino has been in almost all of the best gangster movies except for Goodfellas.
One week until we see the lean and mean Johan, Pelf, Maine and Ollie begin their regular laugh routine at those us us who question the rotation…..
njstuckintx
2/9/2010-11:44pm at 11:44 pm (UTC -4)
Well, good night kids.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:46pm at 11:46 pm (UTC -4)
Night, at least you don’t have to contend with blizzard like conditions as part of your morning commute.
Mr North Jersey
2/9/2010-11:59pm at 11:59 pm (UTC -4)
For those in the TriState News12 Has a nice Traffic Cam page. If you like to see road conditions.
http://www.news12.com/traffic/traffic_frame.jsp?section=video#
metsfan4decades
2/10/2010-12:24am at 12:24 am (UTC -4)
Busy day in my work world today due to weather related shutdowns. Finally had a chance to catch up here and peruse through several great posts…
I too cannot wait for the season to just start already. I’m tired of reading the Mets are broke, Omar should be tarred and feathered, Reyes should be traded, blah, blah, blah.
My passion for all things NY Mets aside, I would like nothing better than to see a winning season just to read some of these guys having to eat crow when all is said and done….
CaseStreet
2/10/2010-6:34am at 6:34 am (UTC -4)
So does Jacobs make it on the team? A lh power bat is needed.
stickguy
2/10/2010-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
carter seems to make sense, since they need a guy that can play OF (unless you want to see you some more Tatis in LF). And he can’t be much worse at 1B than Jacobs.
ALthough at lest Jacobs can handle 3rd catcher duties.