Last night I had the honor to participate in a group interview with Mets pitcher, R.A. Dickey. He was extremly cool and answered all of our questions.
I at the moment am having a problem getting my video feed of the 15 minute interview up, but I will try to have it ready to go by tomorrow. So here is a clip compliments of Mets Police.
And with that said…. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today include :
Utility infielder from the ’62 and ’63 season, Cliff Cook is 75 (1936).
Reserve outfielder from the ’09 season, Cory Sullivan is 32 (1979).
The man known more for his mug shot than his pitching exploits, reliever from the ’09 season, Lance Broadway is 28 (1983).
The New York Mets purchased the contract of middle reliever, Bill Connors from the Chicago Cubs on August 20, 1967.
The New York Mets purchased the contract of pitcher, Ray Burris from the New York Yankees on August 20, 1979. Burris was a very good pitcher at one point in his career, but by the time he came to the Mets he was past his prime. In 2 seasons with the Mets he went 7-15 a 3.94 E.R.A.
The New York Mets signed free agent one time slick fielding infielder, Larry Bowa on August 20, 1985. He was used in a reserve role for the remainder of the season, He retired once the season ended.
The New York Mets traded minor league infielders, Sean Henry and Jose Castro to the Cincinnati Reds for past his prime outfielder, Jeff Conine on August 20, 2007.
The New York Mets released pitcher, Livan Hernandez on August 20, 2009. Livan claims it was because they didn’t want an money laden option to kick – and the Mets front office never disputed it.
Mo Vaughn was seen wearing only a speedo and doing belly flops on the Citi Field tarp during last nights rain delay !
21 comments
Anonymous
8/20/2011-2:44pm at 2:44 pm (UTC -4)
We could use Mo in the rotation to eat some innings right about now.
Anonymous
8/20/2011-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains.
and last night, 2 out of 3 was bad.
MetsFan4Decades
8/20/2011-5:44pm at 5:44 pm (UTC -4)
I hope someone has a transcript of this interview. When I played it, the background noises were drowning out the questions and I could barely hear Dickey’s responses. I know he was talking about his decision to join twitter and his off season plans.
And did I hear him say ‘go back to Cuba’? As in he’s been there before? Always thought it took an act of Congress to get into and out of that country.
MetsFan4Decades
8/20/2011-11:56pm at 11:56 pm (UTC -4)
Of all days for Izzy to have absolutely nothing.
I didn’t have a problem with Parnell pitching the 8th and Izzy the 9th. I think Terry stayed with him way too long though. He clearly could not find the strike zone at all.
Also Capuano’s walk rate is rising and with his tendency for the long ball, that doesn’t bode well.
If any of Capuano not walking those guys in front of the HRs, or not giving up the HRs, or Izzy not flat out sucking in the 9th, this would have been a feel good win. Instead, just another loss.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-12:17am at 12:17 am (UTC -4)
Fortunately I didn’t see the game but I did see a replay of Fielder’s hit on the slider or split finger fastball that came close to kicking up some dirt. While I don’t have saber-metric facts to back me up I have witnessed and have heard baseball experts warn about throwing low and inside to left handed hitters. Many left handed power hitters have an upper-cut swing and are able to reach such a pitch. If the pitch was an inch or two higher it probably would have left the ball park. OTOH if it had been thrown outside Fielder would either have taken it, fouled it off, or struck out. It was just bad location.
MetsFan4Decades
8/21/2011-1:03am at 1:03 am (UTC -4)
I can’t really fault Manny so much there. He comes in with bases loaded and no outs, right after Izzy walked in the 8th run. Hell of position there. If it wasn’t Fielder, would have probably been McGhee (which it was) or the next down the line before he got 3 outs.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-2:43am at 2:43 am (UTC -4)
If you want to be a premium relief pitcher in the big leagues you ask to be called in to situations such as Acosta was today and you must get the job done. You don’t always have the luxury of starting an inning.
MetsFan4Decades
8/21/2011-4:22am at 4:22 am (UTC -4)
Agree there.
But there’s a bigger difference with coming in with an out or two or a man or two on base – and coming in w/ bases loaded, with no outs and a one run lead. Gotta be perfect, which obviously did not happen.
There’s a reason Fielder has about 90 something RBIs.
I will say with what was left in the BP, Manny would have been my first choice when they pulled Izzy. He came close to getting Fielder out but close wasn’t good enough.
Here’s hoping the BP is one of Sandy’s top priorities this off season.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-1:24am at 1:24 am (UTC -4)
Gotta post it somewhere:
Think Reyes is kicking himself for not talking extension when Sandy offered it earlier this year. He’s quickly going from a $20M per to an $8M per year player before our eyes. Which is why as much as Jose’s been my favorite Met over the past 10 years or so I didn’t want them to do anything during the year. Make him play the entire year healthy, so much for that. I’m slowly crossing into the camp of take the picks and keep re-building. Dude just can’t stay healthy.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-1:35am at 1:35 am (UTC -4)
I am really curious to see how this plays out, and what offers do end up on the table for Jose. No clue at all what to expect.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-2:46am at 2:46 am (UTC -4)
The problem is the Mets have no one in the minors that even approaches what Jose brings to the table when healthy.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-5:00pm at 5:00 pm (UTC -4)
not many teams do. Hence my wonder as to what offers he will get!
MetsFan4Decades
8/21/2011-4:30am at 4:30 am (UTC -4)
I kind of disagree there, but only if Reyes really wanted to stay in NY with the Mets.
If it’s more about the money and/or years, I’m still convinced they’ll be a GM or two who will throw out some outrageous offer and overpay to get Reyes. Look at the Nationals and Yankees for instance. Rizzo has no problem throwing big money out there (re: Werth), no matter how ill advised it might be.
And that contract the Yankees gave AJ? They outbid themselves, based on really one good year for AJ and the uncanny ability at the time to keep shutting the Yankees down. You know Cashman regrets that now. We’ll see how long it will take the Nationals to regret that Werth contract.
I thinking the Mets offer 5 years, maybe about 85 MIL as a starting point. I’m thinking they won’t go over the 5 years, but still might increase the money a bit. I really have no idea if he takes it or goes FA to see what the offers will be once exclusive bargaining rights are up. If the best the Mets offer is 8 MIL a year, he’s gone. I’m willing to bet there will be at least 4 teams willing to offer better than that.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-12:11pm at 12:11 pm (UTC -4)
Is it dropping his value because he’s not on the field or showing just how valuable he is to the team by how putrid they are without him on the field? hmmm… While I do think his overall value has declined due to lack of durability, he’s proving to me that, as Gate mentioned above, just how much of a falloff from Reyes to the next guy in the organization it is…
Anonymous
8/21/2011-2:03pm at 2:03 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve kind of turned my Reyes thinking on its head, which pains me since I really love the kid, but a way of looking at it also is what’s the drop off from the other guy who may be there 155-160 games to Reyes who can’t stay on the field. Currently, Jose’s sitting at 98 games played this year, last year he played in 133, I know some missed time while he was sleeping with the shellfishes, but it seems what Jose offers is around 100 games healthy, another 20-30 or so where you have to guess is his next step going to be his last for the season, and another few weeks where he’s on the DL. Those other 20-30 games plus the DL time comes with all the melodrama of answering the endless questions of when will he be back and will he be healthy. There’s no doubt when healthy he’s a beast and a supremely unique talent, but if we’re re-building anyway I might just want the picks (if they are there) at this point. Note: If they are there comment since I don’t know what the threshold of being a Class A FA and Class B is and all that. If his games played stays around where it is will he slide down the FA class and we end up with even less…?
Anonymous
8/21/2011-2:47pm at 2:47 pm (UTC -4)
I would guess that he has got to be a type A anyway, especially if he comes back for September.
I see the logic about “if you are rebuilding anyway”, but it is hard for me to get my head around applying it to a guy who is only going to be 28 next year. IOW, plenty of prime time left to be part of the resurgence.
Now, someone like Beltran, or Bay if you were making the same call on them? No way you bring back a guy that age LT big $
Anonymous
8/21/2011-3:30pm at 3:30 pm (UTC -4)
Theoretically, you could sign Fielder, lose Reyes, move Ike to RF, sign a replacement SS/use Tejada. 1st rd, pick is protected, pick up a 1st rd pick and a supplemental, and lose a 2nd pick. Roll with Pagan, Havens/Murphy/Turner, Wright, Fielder, Ike, Bay, Thole, Tejada, Pitcher…
I know, it’s either a pipe dream or a fantasy baseball mentality, but Prince shouldn’t be but 3 mil more a season than reyes @ prob 6 years, so it’s not a matter of financial restraints. Then yes, SS becomes a question, but RF no longer does.
ramblings of a man stuck in his house due to heat, i guess…
Anonymous
8/21/2011-4:04pm at 4:04 pm (UTC -4)
lol, yeah one of my HS buddies lives in Cypress, TX and has been complaining long and loud about the triple digits down there.
Ramblings are far more sane then things I’ve considered like after watching Wright’s throwing from third continue to decline moving him to 1B if Ike’s career is in trouble. Wright at 1B, Murph at 3B, Duda in LF, yes I’ve finally migrated to moving Bay somewhere if not off the team. Then I step back and see I’m playing russian roulette with the IF. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out. Bay is just such a blocking component it hurts. Or how about this for a nightmare OF, Duda in LF, Bay in CF, Wright in RF, Ike at 1B, Murph at 3B, Turner at 2B, Tejada at SS, yikes UZR models may start smoking in protest.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-4:14pm at 4:14 pm (UTC -4)
The common thought process does need to be jolted a little, but certainly no harm in flipping over rocks to see what could be. With the FA class being as bad as it is, going unconventional for the short term is something that may need to occur. I am, however, not sold on putting wright anywhere but 3B. I could just see his throws from RF, sailing hard and high, as Thole glances up and around to see the ball on a trajectory to smack Ralph Kiner in the noggin and he’s doing a commentary about why they would put Wright in the outfield in the first place…
And on weather.com, when i put in my zip code, they show the temp (obv.) and then a little warning afterwards. “Hot. Heat index near 110F. High near 100F.” Limit outside activity to short periods of time. Then it goes on to say Old people and children should stay inside. I’m thinking a job transfer to North Korea couldn’t be all that bad, could it?
Anonymous
8/21/2011-4:16pm at 4:16 pm (UTC -4)
If I lived in Texas I might present a comment as follows:
Perhaps if we erect a pulpit from which Fred Wilpon can regale us with endless tales on how in high school he pitched while Sandy Koufax played first base he will sell the team to ownership that has a clue on how to successfully run a sports franchise in New York.
Anonymous
8/21/2011-5:56am at 5:56 am (UTC -4)
The Mets have now dropped into 4th place and may be hard pressed to equal last years record. I’ve always felt that “gung ho”,” balls to the walls” and “battling” in baseball were vastly overrated. Teams have also proved that a clubhouse that is copacetic is also vastly overrated in baseball. I’ve observed teams where players could not get along win pennants. Being able to sing Kumbaya does not in itself guarantee more wins from a given team. It may make life easier for the players but does not translate into wins and losses in the sport of baseball.