Today down in Jupiter, Florida the Mets are scheduled to take on the Florida Marlins. On the hill for the Mets will be Nelson Figueroa who in all likelihood will be making his last start in a Mets uniform.
Figueroa or Figgy as many have become accustomed on calling him has pitched well this Spring as he fights for a job posting a 0.00 ERA with 3walks and 9 strikeouts over 8Â innings.
Yet even had Figueroa been perfect and never allowed a single hitter to reach base he still would probably find himself on the outside looking in. Why? Who really knows some feel at 35 the game has passed him by and all he will ever be is a AAAA player. Others feel his Spring numbers can’t be trusted and will fail as soon as he is put in an actual game that counts. Most likely he is simply a victim of the numbers game being the odd man out with Jonathan Niese being rumored to be the 5th starter and with Pat Misch having just as good of a Spring he will most likely push Figueroa out of a spot in the pen.
I don’t share those thoughts that just because he is 35 and never really stuck in the majors that Figueroa can’t contribute in 2010 but I can understand the reasoning behind them.
In any case Figueroa will be putting his perfect era on the line today and after the game will have to decide will he allow the Mets to try and put him through waivers and send him down or will he consider playing overseas across the Pacific as has been reported? Whatever he decides I wish him well.
145 comments
stickguy
3/26/2010-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
good luck to him! Too bad so manymet fans have been conditioned to expect the FO to botch the final roster moves, losing some guys with value and having to scramble later on to replace them.
But, in the big scheme ofthings, I doubt Figgy being here or not will be the difference between the post season and a lost September.
ceetar
3/26/2010-10:39am at 10:39 am (UTC -4)
agreed.
I almost hope he bombs, gets released, and we can just be done with it.
rustyjr
3/26/2010-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Jeez ceetar that’s harsh lol
trs86
3/26/2010-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
I understand what he is saying though. If it’s inevitable that they release him then at least give the non-Figgy lovers a break by not having to listen to how Figgy could have saved us all year.
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
actually, I don’t want the mets to be the bombees.
I hope he gets released, picked up by a competitor, bombs for them 9losing some games), then gets released.
At which time, Omar probably tires to pick him up again.
That last part was a joke. I think.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
I actually agree with Ceetar.
I am sick of Figgy, sick of his ridiculous attitude of entitlement, and even sicker of the ridiculous people on Metsblog, the Star Ledger etc who constantly go off about how he has “earned” a spot, how he should replace Ollie, etc.
I wish Figgy the best, and I just hope it is far, far away from Queens, Binghamton, Buffalo, etc.
But I still love Case!
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
Anyone that suggested Figgy should replace Ollie is someone you should not even waste the time typing that they said such a thing.
This act of entitlement I keep hearing about is something that I view as someone that got frustrated that no matter what he does he can’t crack a staff. I know you can sympathize with speaking out of frustration?
It doesn’t make it right but it shows he is human.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Actually I think Figgy has a lot in common with the authors at this blog (if I do say so myself).
He believes he’s talented, has a lot to offer and can get the job done, but does anyone notice and will he ever get an opportunity to shine in front of a big audience?
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Nice…
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
This is a serious rarity, but I totally disagree with you Grave, assuming you are even slightly serious.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:09pm at 12:09 pm (UTC -4)
Somehow Nelson Figueroa is almost always involved when we disagree. Figgy is trying to tear us apart!
But more seriously, my only goal in my comment above was to praise all of us as individuals who are working hard and confident in our abilities but taking it any further than that I can see that it may imply some unflattering comparisons depending on interpretation and so I’m just going to drop it before I dig myself a deeper Grave.
I think it was a good analogy on the surface but as I dig deeper it is flawed so I withdraw it.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:11pm at 12:11 pm (UTC -4)
Thing is we did not go out whining to Metsblog to take us back. We said screw’em and made our own damn team.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
You know, you are right about the Ollie thing. One night I was posting on MLBTR and a guy kept insisting, against lots of opposition, that Ollie should be released and Figgy had to be the number 3.
Yes, I do understand frustration, but there really are a decade’s worth of reasons why he cannot crack a staff.
In all sincerity, as I said in the article I wrote about him, I hope he goes to Japan and makes tens of millions, and I really think he will be an excellent pitching coach someday.
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-11:49am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
Fair enough, I won’t argue with that.
I will only say that baseball is full of people that had bad pasts and for one brief moment in their career everything clicked and they pitched well. I hope that is not what is happening here with Figueroa and like many suggest he is just a AAAA pitcher that had a good Spring.
I put myself in his shoes and wonder how frustrating and helpless it must be that no matter what you do you can’t impress a major league team to believe you have something left in the tank that could help a club win a game or two.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
Thing is NJ it’s not like he has not been given a chance to prove himself.
June 1, 1995: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 30th round of the 1995 amateur draft. Player signed June 6, 1995.
July 31, 1998: Traded by the New York Mets with Bernard Gilkey and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Willie Blair, Jorge Fabregas and cash.
July 26, 2000: Traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Omar Daal, Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla to the Philadelphia Phillies for Curt Schilling.
April 3, 2002: Selected off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Philadelphia Phillies.
October 11, 2002: Released by the Milwaukee Brewers.
January 6, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
October 14, 2004: Released by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 9, 2006: Signed as a Free Agent with the Washington Nationals.
October 15, 2006: Granted Free Agency.
February 6, 2008: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Mets.
November 3, 2008: Granted Free Agency.
December 3, 2008: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Mets.
May 19, 2009: Designated for FA
April 24, 2009: Granted Free Agency.
April 25, 2009, he re-signed with the Mets
August 3, 2009 Purchased the contract of pitcher Nelson Figueroa from Buffalo of the International League (AAA);
That’s not even counting all the international teams.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
5 MLB teams, 6 organizations, 106 games 377 innings in the MLB, 1758 minor league innings, 290 games.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
At Tedquarters the other day I left a comment with a list of guys who started lots of games on the MLB teams he played for, a list of guys who are eminently mediocre at best and horrific at worst, that he couldn’t/didn’t beat out for a regular job. Here it is again in all it’s copy and paste glory:
As a 35 year old who at age 26 couldn’t for whatever reason beat out Omar Daal or Armando Reynoso, at age 27 couldn’t for whatever reason beat out Dave Coggin, Amaury Telemaco or Bruce Chen, as a 28 year old couldn’t for whatever reason beat out Ruben Quevedo, Jamey Wright or Nick Neugebauer, as a 29 year old couldn’t beat out Josh Fogg, Jeff D’Amico or Solomon Torres, and as a 30 year old still couldn’t beat out Josh Fogg nor could he beat out Ryan Vogelsong, the fact that he’s even still on the periphery of consideration now by any major league team a year removed from 29 of them refusing to sign him as a free agent is a miracle that he should learn to better appreciate.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
Amen Ted. I think he needs to understand what baseball HAS given him instead of what it has NOT.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
I wonder what that list of pitchers would look like the last few years?
Even on the Mets?
trs86
3/26/2010-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
Also Nelson was in AAA for the Nats in 2006 and never even got a call up. He was released and had to go pitch for the Ducks. That’s the great 2006 Nats team that had to use 12 SP’s including greats like Billy Traber, Beltran Perez?, and led by staff Ace: Mike O’Connor with a 4.80 ERA. OK I kid the Ace was Russ Ortiz with a 5.57 ERA.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:37pm at 12:37 pm (UTC -4)
I wrote that, not Ted.
It was my comment left on one of his pro-Figgy pieces.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:41pm at 12:41 pm (UTC -4)
My bad Grave. Give credit where credit is due.
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-1:07pm at 1:07 pm (UTC -4)
I agree I don’t believe I ever suggested he has never been given opportunities simply that he feels right now he has something to offer and no matter how well he pitches this Spring it doesn’t look like it will get him any closer to making the team.
rustyjr
3/26/2010-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
Somewhere trs is quietly shedding a tear
trs86
3/26/2010-10:42am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
Quietly HELL!
LOL, I know this has been kind of a joke because you guys know I don’t understand the love for all things figgy.
However, I will say it again and again I am fine with figgy making the team as long as it does not cost us Misch or Nieve.
By the way NJ, at this point neither Misch nor Figgy are making the team.
rustyjr
3/26/2010-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Just teasing you my friend
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
Ah, let us pray!
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
You just know he’s going to go out there today, give you 8 innings, 2 hits on 80 pitches just to make this hard….
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
On that note, just caught on MLBTR ‘Phillies Seek Rotation Depth’.
There ya go, Figgy….
trs86
3/26/2010-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
You know what would happen then. Happ would stink like many are predicting and then Figgy would step in and go 10-2 with a 3.30 ERA.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:02am at 11:02 am (UTC -4)
And 2-0 with 1.35 ERA against the Mets.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
LOL – yeah, then there’s the 47 year old Moyer who has that 5th spot. What are the odds he finishes the season?
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
his arm might fall off in July…
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
actually, Kyle Kendrick has pitched very well, and just might get the 5th spot. And if they do give it to moyer, he will be on a real short leash. He actually pitched well for them out of the pen last year.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
Let’s send them Green too.
trs86
3/26/2010-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
Post
rustyjr
3/26/2010-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
Op?
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
Well, Comments are off for that post but THANK YOU!
I might be the only one who loves this Dugout…
Just an FYI…I know many had a problem with the nickname being replaced last year but I never did. Don’t recall ever having to go through the work around Dirty posted.
dirtysanchez
3/26/2010-11:18am at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
upgrades to their system…
ceetar
3/26/2010-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
Why’d you change from #realdirtydugout to #realdirtymetsdugout this year? Not that it really matters, none of you came to visit all winter, but I’ve been there.
trs86
3/26/2010-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
OK maybe that’s too far.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:00am at 11:00 am (UTC -4)
How did you put pictures in your comment?
trs86
3/26/2010-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
I have secret powers. LOL.
Not to be smug but only authors can do it due to a wordpress issue.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
boo hoo…
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
Twins!
Well, except for the fact that the monster probably can throw harder and has better breaking stuff…..
trs86
3/26/2010-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
Hey come on that’s no monster. That’s Jar Jar Binks. He almost single handily wiped out the entire Star Wars saga.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:11pm at 12:11 pm (UTC -4)
“Better dead here than deader in the Core. Ye gods, whatta meesa sayin’?”
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
Oops sorry!
I LOVE the original three Star Wars movies, especially Empire Strikes Back, but I tried to watch one of the newer ones and could not get more than about 30–45 minutes into it.
But I have heard of Jar Jar and I definitely would pencil him in before Figgy as rotation depth.
dirtysanchez
3/26/2010-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
Figgy…I almost just want to release him just so he can make it somewhere else because its not going to happen here.
rustyjr
3/26/2010-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
There’s always Israel lol
dirtysanchez
3/26/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
lmao…good point…theres always Isreal
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-11:10am at 11:10 am (UTC -4)
So long as it doesn’t happen at our expense.
This Spring has been an interesting one indeed with so many spots needing to be filled in the pitching staff. You have to hope all works out for the best. Santana, Pelfrey, Ollie, Maine, Niese in the rotation and KROD, Feliciano, Igarashi, and Calero, in the pen. Who will be the last 3 to join the pen assuming a 12 man staff?
Takahashi
Misch
Green
Parnell
dirtysanchez
3/26/2010-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
no green….
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:15am at 11:15 am (UTC -4)
Anyone but Green.
I posted last night a little known fact on Taka’s contract. He has to have a spot on the 25 man roster by mid-May or…if another team wants him, we have to let him go. So Taka will get a spot by May (unless he’s pitching crappy, then we don’t care if anyone team wants him).
And you know Majia is gonna be in that BP so that leaves both Green and Parnell w/o a spot.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
Actually, it appears it’s an agreement, not in the contract:
One item that is not written in any contract, but is an understanding between Takahashi and the Mets is that if he is not on the 25-man roster by mid-May and has a chance to go elsewhere and pitch in the majors then the Mets will release him from his obligation to let him go to another team.
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:17am at 11:17 am (UTC -4)
2nd with MF. Mejia is a total lock. Book it and bank it Dan-O.
Probably at the expense of Misch, who will be lost on waivers.
trs86
3/26/2010-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
At this point Taka’s in and so is Mejia I guess. That leaves one spot, whoops not it does not. Nieve is in too.
trs86
3/26/2010-10:58am at 10:58 am (UTC -4)
Curious but I wonder if Misch, Nieve or Figgy have ANY trade value?
oleosmirf
3/26/2010-11:06am at 11:06 am (UTC -4)
not sure how baseball works but could they trade Figgy or Misch to another team for a similar pitcher, out of options who didnt make the team and then each team asign them to AAA.
that way they dont lose depth in the minors…
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
I think they just inherit the options problem with the new guy. Otherwise you would see a ton more trades like this.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
Right, now if they get released and then sign a minor league contract that’s a different story.
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
hopefully they find out before releasing them.
Especially since they are cheap, so it doesn’t cost teams more than picking up a guy off the scrap heap.
They can’t possibly lose all 3, can they? Not even Omar could figure out how to make tha masive of a depth dump at 1 time!
It would leave the entire SP depth chart as Taka and what, Gee?
Now, if they only had a young hot shot prospect being groomed as a SP, just in case!
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
I don’t know if they would have any value before the season. Other teams probably know that the Mets cannot afford to keep all 3 of them in the team, so that would drive the value down.
oleosmirf
3/26/2010-11:00am at 11:00 am (UTC -4)
It makes no sense for Figueroa to stay with the Mets at this point.
I can just see him signing with the Athletics or Cardinals or NL West team and having a very good year.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
Looks like KRod bought a Lamborghini.. it’s gotta be good to be making $12M/year.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:15am at 11:15 am (UTC -4)
I’m sure I’ll never know….
ceetar
3/26/2010-11:20am at 11:20 am (UTC -4)
yeah, but he’ll spend half that on gas driving it to NY.
Kinda funny, that he had it shipped to him in Florida, when he’s almost definitely going to have to ship it to NY afterwards in a week. Unless he’s planning on flooring it to Citi Field after their game in Tampa on Saturday. (guess he probably doesn’t make that trip, leaves Saturday for NY?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
He’ll spend half of that on gas driving it to NY, but he’ll get there before the team plane.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
He’s got the money to spend on gas too and then some…
CaseStreet
3/26/2010-11:17am at 11:17 am (UTC -4)
Figgy’s gonna pitch a perfect game today
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
On his XBox.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
hahahaha!
dirtysanchez
3/26/2010-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
so wait…whats the situation with mejia? Buster Onley was talking during a Fantasy Draft edition of ESPN that he will be the 8th inning man…i thought the mets were not committed to even bringing him up yet
ceetar
3/26/2010-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
not committed to bringing him up. Omar said twice he’s going to AA, followed by recently that he’s started to consider it.
Manuel says he probably won’t be the setup guy anyway.
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
Given the fact that Jerry has been ‘lobby’ for him all ST, and Omar all but reversed his stance on that, sealing it with his comments in the ESPN booth yesterday at the Cardinals game, he’s going to be in that BP come opening day.
As Stick says ‘Book it’.
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
Just reading between the lines of what they have done with him, and said about it, it has to be at least a 99%+ probablity he makes the team.
And no matter what lip service they give about babying him or breaking him in slow (kind of making the move pointless), Jerry will start running him out every game and beating him like an old mule if he is getting anyone out.
Hopefully a few other guys step up 1st (like Calero) t solidfy the prime set up men roles. Maybe if they really don’t need Mejia for any important innings they will send him down?
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:24am at 11:24 am (UTC -4)
Olney also is reporting the the Cards are adding Carpenter, Wainwright, Keith Hernandez and Stan Musial into the Ryan Howard deal.
Also, spacemen have landed in Central Park.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
Cool~
stickguy
3/26/2010-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
TRS made me start wondering if maybe Omar is working on some trade options behind the scenes, to clear up some of the roster log jams, and maybe will some more holes? They do have some young guys that have done well. Not stars, but maybe trade a useful piece for a semi-prospect they can stash?
Hate to just waive a bunch of guys with no options and have nothing to show for it.
ceetar
3/26/2010-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
All teams have these issues, so it seems a fair chance we’ll see at least a small trade of some sort.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-11:32am at 11:32 am (UTC -4)
I think you described it perfectly. Small trade.
Last year around this time, Jeff Keppinger, Chris Burke and Ronny Paulino got traded.
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
I would have said the same, as there are many teams with this issue. Then the Yankers let Gaudin go, which to me was a little silly. Someone would have flipped a minor leaguer for him, I would have thought.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
Well if they released him a team still has to claim him right? I get confused during the off-season.
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, a team would have to claim him. But I guess that’s my point. He would certainly be able to find a spot on the Mets, in particular. I’m sure other teams could say the same. If the Yanks were going just lose him, might as well flip him for a minor leaguer, no? And, with teams that could use him, why not flip a career minor leaguer for him? It’s these small details that I enter into a fog and start losing my bearings.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:09pm at 12:09 pm (UTC -4)
I guess I am saying that if a team claims him can’t the Yankees request something in return or is this irrevocable waivers?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
I’m pretty sure these were irrevocable waivers but it’s moot as he’s cleared them and is a free agent now.
stickguy
3/26/2010-12:21pm at 12:21 pm (UTC -4)
they could claim him. It is also I am pretty sure irrevocable waivers, so he is gone (or he clears and just goes to AAA) if he wants to.
No one is likely to claim him though since he has a 2009 contract for 2.7mill. Wait a few days, and try to get him as a FA for 400K with the Yankers paying the rest.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
I read something that the Yankees by cutting him now only owe him like .75M. I know that was the case with Sanchez before. If that’s so I wonder if we can do the same with Green? PLEASE?
trs86
3/26/2010-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
The problem with the idea of a trade is that usually teams know they can have the guy for free in a few days.
I guess trades of 2 out of option guys make the most sense.
Mr North Jersey
3/26/2010-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
How do you spell this?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
He drives that thing with an icepack on his elbow?
Where do Juan Urbina and his teammates sit when KRod picks them up?
metsfan4decades
3/26/2010-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
LOL – but that is one nice looking car….
Living in NJ, I can’t imagine what that would cost to insure. Then again, the fact that’s the first thing I think of tells you I’ll never afford to find out….
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
Just ask the people in Alpine or parts of Franklin Lakes. They’ll know.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
Upper Saddle River baby!
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
Is that where you’re from?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
No, I’m from The Town of Wallkill, NY, which is different from Wallkill, NY (which is like 30 miles away).
As a NY football Giants fan I just recall Bill Parcells and many stars of the team living in Upper Saddle River (which at least then was 3-car garage territory) back in their heyday.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:41pm at 12:41 pm (UTC -4)
When Nixon used to go to Mets games and sit in the field level seats with common folk, he lived in Upper Saddle River…not sure how many garages he had, but they were definitely all bugged….
trs86
3/26/2010-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
Be careful. You can knock Gdub all you want but stay away from my man Nixon.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
It’s more like 3 car garage with a private lake type of houses over there.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, I was joking, and after the last few GOP presidents, Richard Nixon, in many, many ways, looks infinitely better every year!
OK, I better get off that; don’t want to be deleted!
ceetar
3/26/2010-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
DMV (sorry, MVC? whatever it’s called..) is in Franklin Lakes isn’t it? or is that Oakland? whatever. up 208 there.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
DMV is in Wyckoff.
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
And in Oakland.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:44pm at 12:44 pm (UTC -4)
There’s a DMV in Oakland too?
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
Yup. go into oakland from 208. make a left at the kaiser’s deli and it’s in the stop&shop shopping plaza, in the corner of the “L”. It’s way more busy that Wyckoff though. Oakland Pizzeria is close by. good eats.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
Geez, it must be nice to make 12 mil a year.
Are there enough guys waiting around to help him carry his pink eye medication and “I Love Hugo” t shirts?
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:16pm at 12:16 pm (UTC -4)
“I Love Hugo” LOL!@!
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
trs86
3/26/2010-12:03pm at 12:03 pm (UTC -4)
There’s gotta be some damn conspiracy when MC links to this “In a post to Mets Pundit, Brian Miller writes, “The Mets should be the Yankees of the NL, instead they tend to operate more like the Royals and Pirates.— But nothing for us? Seriously? I know that we have our past issues but I am sure he realizes what linking to a site does for the site.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
LOL!
I would love an explanation of the precise parallels between us and Pitts and KC, other than us all playing baseball.
Too stupid, too much, and too par for the course.
But many of his commenters will eat it up, so suppose it is perfect.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:16pm at 12:16 pm (UTC -4)
I want to be very careful here as my goal is not to insult myself or any of my esteemed fellow authors, but what have we published recently that he should’ve linked to?
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:20pm at 12:20 pm (UTC -4)
Perhaps the McFadden post?
ceetar
3/26/2010-12:21pm at 12:21 pm (UTC -4)
my David Wright Captain piece! (well, could’ve linked the original too)
trs86
3/26/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Depends on what “should’ve” means. MC has recently lowered that bar from posting 100 links a day to where all of our post would be worthy.
Not to mention that recently there have been a lot of similarities where right after we post something he picks it up without giving a link back like we always try to do.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
Understood.
In the 10 months or so we’ve been doing this I have to say I have failed in every attempt to find a method to the madness of what written here is or isn’t linked to there.
Believe me if I had uncovered any kind of formula I would have shared it with all of you and been exploiting if for all it’s worth.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:36pm at 12:36 pm (UTC -4)
I agree. I know he realizes the amount of views his links generate and some of these sites are trying to survive on ad revenue. When you get 2,000 views from one of his links you get as many as most of these sites get in a week+
ceetar
3/26/2010-1:45pm at 1:45 pm (UTC -4)
My site (which has been around 3 years, granted I don’t put a huge amount of effort into it) got 600 hits last month, by comparison.
Matt seems like two different people sometimes to me, which still gives me the impression that he’s got people ‘ghosting’ for him occasionally.
I think you may be reading into the linkage thing too much though. It’s probably just a random, oh look, someone sent me this and I like it. Or it pops up on twitter, or somewhere.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:37pm at 12:37 pm (UTC -4)
Grave–I would turn it around and ask what piece would NOT have been more worthy than a piece, which by definition HAS to be moronic if he compares us to teams which spend about $50–70 million a year when we spend about $140 mil a year….he again cites Madoff when the only clear evidence we have seen is that the Wilpons MADE money with Madoff.
Yes, they spend too little on the draft, no doubt there, and this is the only really relevant thing in this article.
Like most whiny nuisances, the author has NO idea if the Mets “should” make as much as the Yanks….his evidence here is apparently that they both play in the same market…ignoring, of course, that the Yankees have been winning titles and fielding internationally known stars for nearly 90 years now.
The quote from the executive editor of Baseball America, presumably someone who actually has sources and knowledge, is “With a brand-new ballpark and a television network, the Mets’ revenues are probably among the top five clubs in baseball, note the word PROBABLY…and if we spend the second or third most, that seems about right.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:41pm at 12:41 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Jimmy Johnson and I live in the same market and both drive cars. I should probably make the same amount of money?
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
Well, you are clearly small market if you don’t!
trs86
3/26/2010-12:44pm at 12:44 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah the homeless guy that stands on the corner that I drive by in the Jimmy Johnson market all three of us are showing what is, what could be, and what ain’t.
Sorry, no offense intended towards our homeless readers.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-1:05pm at 1:05 pm (UTC -4)
Dunno, do you?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-1:02pm at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
All good points. My goal in asking the question is “what is it that MB is looking for in a link, and have we provided it?”
My own answer to that is “I don’t know and I don’t know.”
And it depresses me to even ponder it, and it depresses me even more to consider pandering to it.
That’s why I dared above to compare us to Nelson Figueroa. From Nelson’s own perspective he’s doing the things that he believes people who can best further his career (promote him) want done, yet he has no secure future and it seems he is being actively phased out despite his contributions (again, I’m trying to see/show Nelson’s perspective, not necessarily the reality which is less important for my point).
I think it can be said that we are doing many many right things at TRDMB and doing them well yet we have no idea if the person who, right or wrong, could make or break our career is even noticing or even cares to further our career, all this while realizing the distinct possibility that this person very specifically does not want our career furthered. Add to that the idea that, similar (but not the perfect comparison) to Nelson’s whining, we are not kind to that person here. We are dismissive, insulting and condescending to the very person who could make or break us.
That’s the only parallel I was trying to make. The unfortunate implication that I can’t avoid is the suggestion that “this” is the minor leagues. I’m sorry that I can’t avoid that but I can’t.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-1:26pm at 1:26 pm (UTC -4)
Many excellent points.
One big difference—Matt is where he is for one giant reason and one large but smaller one—timing and persistence–NOTHING else.
He is a terrible writer, knows nothing about baseball history before Piazza was traded to the Mets, he knows zilch about the inner workings of the game, he chooses awful people who cannot spell to write for him, etc.
He is there because he was first, and because he works hard. That is it.
The Mets are a major league team, and players play for them based on merit and clearly demonstrated skills.
Nothing about Metsblog parallels this.
If persistence earned a spot on an MLB team, Figgy would be an all-star.
Sure, we are the minor leagues over at TRDMB, but because we just started a year ago.
If this site with our roster started the same day Cerrone started, who would have corporate sponsorship and all the hits today?
I am guilty of being “dismissive, insulting and condescending” for sure. I went there every day for 3–4 years, constantly defended him, and was banned instantly for no reason and never allowed back.
However, ironically, I think he linked to at least 3, if not 4, of my opinion pieces from here.
I honestly think he removed the blog roll and stopped linking to us because his hits are probably down. There are more and more sites, and truthfully, going to the Star Ledger and coming here and going to Mets.com gives me all I need.
When Baron posts a lineup with 2 second basemen or Nichols used to post 7- or 8-man lineups, it’s a joke. When Cerrone talks about Rick Ankiel pitching when he stopped pitching YEARS ago, it is a ridiculous joke, and it astonishes me that SNY and huge corporations sponsor him. As soon as his page views/visits decline enough, they will drop him like the mediocrity he is. That’s why the blogroll is gone.
And truthfully, I agree with him. My site has zero links, as we decided that giving people an opportunity to go shop somewhere else was not wise.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-1:31pm at 1:31 pm (UTC -4)
You have skillfully identified both the good points and the flaws in my argument and done so in a way that really reminds me why I’m so happy in the minor leagues.
While major league money and fame would certainly and probably, respectively, be sweet, bottom line I love the game.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
Grave, someday I hope to be as erudite and as polite as you.
I love being part of something that is done REALLY WELL.
I love that about my biz with my brother, and that is why I love being a part of this site.
We do things well here.
darknova306
3/26/2010-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
The Pirates? Yeah, cause we haven’t been close to competitive since the early 90′s… *rolling my eyes*
ceetar
3/26/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
that post appears to be gone, btw.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:36pm at 12:36 pm (UTC -4)
Far as I can tell it’s still in the first post about Jordany.
Kingman 26
3/26/2010-12:39pm at 12:39 pm (UTC -4)
It is there, in all of its moronic glory.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
Looks like Jason Heyward will be the Bravo’s opening day RF.
Do you think they would fall for the ‘Let’s trade your RF for my RF deal’ again?
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
I wonder why the Bravo’s wouldn’t wait till mid-May to bring him up… they must be desperate for power.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t have enough knowledge of their roster machinations to know if they care about the super 2 arbitration thing or not.
I do know that, while they’ve had their flops (Jordan Schafer comes to mind), I have a tremendous amount of respect for the way Bobby Cox and staff fit rookies onto their team.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:38pm at 12:38 pm (UTC -4)
Way too early to call Schafer a flop yet. Kids still only 22. He may only be a 4th OF but give him some time.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:39pm at 12:39 pm (UTC -4)
23
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
I think Heyward is a different breed from Schafer.
trs86
3/26/2010-12:50pm at 12:50 pm (UTC -4)
Hey lets not discuss that type of stuff here.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
huh?
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-1:06pm at 1:06 pm (UTC -4)
It’s a slave joke. Just roll with it, he’s from the south.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-1:08pm at 1:08 pm (UTC -4)
oh…
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
I thought you were going with bad types of beer. I remember schafer, but not heywards. On par with Rhinegold? heh.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-1:11pm at 1:11 pm (UTC -4)
I thought it was a beer reference at first too. Then I re-read it and, like Kistics I said “oh.”
njstuckintx
3/26/2010-1:17pm at 1:17 pm (UTC -4)
I’d buy a six pack of Heyward. Can’t be worse than Schlitz.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/26/2010-1:30pm at 1:30 pm (UTC -4)
Whatever reference it is… I wonder if Omar can pull off the ‘Your RF for My RF’ trade this season.
GravediggerHebner
3/26/2010-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
When Heyward plays on par with the last 2 Atlanta years of Francoeur it might happen.