First Off I would like to take the time out to thank everyone here associated with the Real Dirty Mets Blog for their kind words and concerns about my wife Jeanne who recently had surgery. She is doing fine but is relegated to bed rest for at least a week.
It’s funny. Yesterday I was pondering the ’06 season and what might have been. Well actually what I was really wondering is what would have happened if Duaner Sanchez never had gotten into that cab to feed his need for authentic Dominican food. Would Pedro Martinez and Orlando ” El Duque” Hernandez both still have suffered the freak injuries that prevented them from pitching in the post season? If they had pitched in the post season would the Mets still have swept the Los Angeles Dodgers only to lose in seven games to the lowly St. Louis Cardinals ? If Duaner hadn’t been injured would we have beaten the Cards? Are we putting too much stock in both John Maine an Oliver Perez because of the gutsy pitching that they displayed during that post season? I don’t have the answer to many of those questions. But I would venture a guess that if Duaner had ordered room service that night the Mets would have been celebrating their first World Series win in twenty years. But alas you can’t change the past …. your thoughts?
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                                   ” Were these men the key to winning the ’06 World Series?”
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And with that being said ….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Happy Birthday to journeyman major league catcher who would become a coach for the Mets from ’92 – 93, Barry Foote (1952) .
Utility-man from the ‘ 92 team – Bill Pecota is 50 (1960). Bill is more famous now for developing the PECOTA system which predicts how a team or it’s players will perform based on their previous stats.
New York Mets signed free agent pitcher, Clem Labine on February 16, 1962. Clem was a pitcher for the legendary ” Boys of Summer ” Brooklyn Dodgers. and he stayed on the Mets roster for just 13 days before being released. In three games with the ’62 Mets he had no record and a E.R.A of 11.25.
And as we look to February 18th ( Spring Training begins) with open arms, Don’t forget that there are just 48 days until the Mets open the 2010 season against the Florida Marlins at Citi Field.
13 comments
metsfan4decades
2/16/2010-7:33am at 7:33 am (UTC -4)
Well, just on the surface if Duaner hadn’t been involved in that accident, we would not have had Ollie. Without Ollie, who would have been that 4th starter in the post season? If he didn’t start that infamous game 7 (if we even got to game 7 if history was rewritten), who would have and what would the outcome have been? We’ll never know but one thing is for sure….we would never have seen ‘The Catch’ – arguably one of the most infamous in post season play ever….
trs86
2/16/2010-7:43am at 7:43 am (UTC -4)
Sorry, can’t go there. I think that Cards team was better than people give them credit for and they just out pitched us. We did not pitch that badly we just could not hit them at all. I don’t see how that would have changed.
metsfan4decades
2/16/2010-7:50am at 7:50 am (UTC -4)
Was out all day yesterday so catching up on the posts now.
One thing that struck me was the on discussing Met fan negativity. It’s not only across the web sphere but across radio as well.
Was in the car most of yesterday morning and caught some of WFAN’s programming. Adam the Bull (who I take it is a Cubs fan?) made a point that really annoyed me. Comparing the Mets and the Yankees he stated that for at least the next decade or so you can count on the Yankees always competing for and getting to the post season. Said concerning the Mets, that will never happen.
Really? Wasn’t it just 2008 when they missed post season? Yeah, they finished with 89 wins – normally good enough to get you there. But that season the Red Sox and Rays were just better than them. That’s what’s great about this game. You cannot play it on paper.
If the Yankees suddenly found themselves with an aging closer and catcher who weren’t contributing, an off year for one of their sluggers and an injury to one of their 1-3 SP, do they really think it’s that easy to go out and ‘buy’ those replacements mid season to keep going? They don’t have a very young team anymore and will need to be looking at replacements for some who have been manning their position for years such as Mariano, Jorge, Jeter, etc. Unless their farm system is great and have up and coming stars at most of these positions, is it really going to be that easy for them to retool?
I know it’s the Yankees but money doesn’t always buy everything.
And by my estimation, it’s running like 80% with Met fans calling in saying we won’t finish above 4th this year. I just don’t see anything being a slam dunk for any one team in the NL East this year…..
prismo
2/16/2010-7:56am at 7:56 am (UTC -4)
Glad to hear your wife is doing well Rusty!
Who knows about Duaner. For all we know he could haveve tanked in the second half of the season – relief pitchers are fickle that way. We do owe him props for inspiring the name of our blog though!
stickguy
2/16/2010-8:32am at 8:32 am (UTC -4)
With all the debbie downers and 4th place if they are lucky crowd, it is almost time to buy, Mortimer, buy!
And MF4D, the Met bashing (at this point, cheap jokes like you get on late night TV when a famous person doees something silly) has gone overboard, and really isn’t logical anymore.
I had XM this morning on coming to work today, and their question of the day is “what is the 1 big (or biggest) issue for your team in ST” (something along those lines).
A fair question, and should get good discussion going. But, they just couldn’t let it stand alone. They insisted on throwing in a cheap dig at the Mets every time they promo’d it.
Basically said “of course, if you are a Met fan, could you only pick one”.
Like every other team is so good and solid that finding one question mark is hard, but the Mets have dozens?
ALl these hacks better put their money where there mouth is and bet on the Mets to finish 4th with 75 or less wins, since they are making that inevitability the cornerstone of their programming.
metsfan4decades
2/16/2010-8:37am at 8:37 am (UTC -4)
I don’t have XM radio but I’ve been reading the comments some of you have posted regarding some of their Met discussions/debates. All I’m gonna say is good thing I don’t have XM radio……Although listening to some on WFAN isn’t much better at times.
Contrary to what the majority think – and many of them Met fans – I just do not see the Phillies as a lock for the NL east. Anything can happen. No one knows that better than a Met fan.
On that note, I see they’re reporting Braves Jurrjens is having an MRI for shoulder soreness. I’m sure Brave fans are holding their breath on that b/c way I see it, Braves pitching is the only thing that’s gonna keep them in contention going in….
njstuckintx
2/16/2010-8:56am at 8:56 am (UTC -4)
I guess it’s tough when there are minimal actual Mets Fans out there. Carton is a fan, but he’ll jump on something to get ratings. Boomer gets props, for obvious reasons. Beningo I think loves to shout “You’re Killing me!”. With no true Met Champion to pick up the cause during the drive home, the radio will continue to be Debbie Downer…
metsfan4decades
2/16/2010-8:44am at 8:44 am (UTC -4)
Rusty – just caught your update on Mrs. Rusty. Glad to hear all went well with the surgery and no complications. 7-10 days rest, some TLC and lot of good drugs and hopefully it will be a distant memory.
GravediggerHebner
2/16/2010-11:29am at 11:29 am (UTC -4)
I can’t play the what if game, it hurts too much.
Whenever I hear the name Clem Labine for some reason I think of a gun.
“Honey I heard a noise downstairs.”
“OK, pass me the Clem Labine I’ll go check it out.”
gategem
2/17/2010-4:14am at 4:14 am (UTC -4)
A little remembered fact about Clem Labine was that after Larsen pitched his perfect game in game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Labine kept the Dodgers alive by pitching a complete game, 10 inning shutout at Ebbets Field.
CaseStreet
2/16/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Blame it on the mofongo.
joed1
2/17/2010-2:36am at 2:36 am (UTC -4)
Hope your wife gets well soon Rusty, glad she’s doing better.
rustyjr
2/17/2010-5:42am at 5:42 am (UTC -4)
thanks joeed