Mets talkback

Jerry wrote:

Pete, since the Mets have a depleted farm system & nobody wants their overpaid under-achievers in a trade, Omar has to think out of the box.
T-Man's suggestion about Bonds might have been extreme, but it will take some creativity to improve the Mets' roster this season. Hell, Minaya can't even find a legitmate back-up for the crippled Castillo.
<quoted text>

I don't think the Mets have a depleted farm system as every so called Pro Scoutt thinks. The problem with the Mets is that this GM has a hard time admitting his mistakes. Those 5 pitchers we traded last year most (4) are in the majors. I wouldn't call that depleted. There are some good players down there it's just that Minayh won't admitt his plan is a failure.

Clearwater Pete wrote:

<quoted text>lHey Dis: Those are some deals, you really know how to hurt a guy. Hi Hi! Yeah the Rays are looking good these days and we hope the tide doesn't turn wrong. A few injuries here and there and the whole picture could change.

True, but whatever happens thay have managed to give you a season and also give you fans something to look forward to. Their future looks bright. They sort of remind in some ways like the 1984 Mets which contended for a little while but fell short to the Cubs. That was their first winning season after those miserable years in the late 70's and early 80's.

Muhammad wrote:

Self-hatred? weak response, thats the best you can do?? Stop dreaming of panties and get out on a friday night loser. <quoted text>

Hey Homohamad. Been awhile since you stunk up the place. What a pig!

As one who has had more than a few run-ins with umpires in his day, I would like to comment on the Runge-Manuel-Beltrán fracas the other night. First of all, this nonsense about not being allowed to question a ball-strike call is ridiculous. Since when did the HP umpire acquire papal infallibility? Does anyone remember the disgraceful job turned in by Eric Gregg during the 1997 playoffs? The Human Hamburger had a strike zone as wide as his own posterior that day. If you can’t stand a little criticism, you should look for line of work that doesn’t involve human contact.

Secondly, Brian Runge unnecessarily prolonged the contretemps by removing his mask and dusting off a clean plate. That was baiting the player, pure and simple. Remember what Redneck Joe West did to Von Hayes about 15 years ago, tossing Hayes out of a game for a belated comment he made to his first-base coach (while he was standing on the base) about a pitch call he disagreed with during his just-concluded turn at bat. The comment was not about West, nor was it directed to him. West simply overheard the remark and decided that Hayes needed to get the boot. Sometimes umpires confuse themselves with God.

Then Runge deliberately bumped Manuel. It’s bad enough when players physically abuse umpires--and that includes spitting, Roberto Alomar--but it is doubly offensive when the authority figure does it to those under his control. In a way, umpires are accorded a special kind of trust and respect by virtue of the position they hold. The same goes for police officers and priests. It is especially loathsome when we learn that a cop has turned criminal or that a priest has been messing with the altar boys. Umpires, like cops and the clergy, are held to a higher standard; punishment should be swift and severe when the trust is broken.

And finally, Runge made a big mistake when he tossed the mild-mannered Beltrán so quickly after he continued to complain about the call. I know a player who was once bounced for saying “Incredible”; Steve Garvey got the heave-ho for saying the terrible phrase “Bear down, ump.” And I have personally been ejected for saying things like “Yes” and “No.”(Honest, I am not making this up.) Once the player is ejected, there is no reason for the player to hold back on the vituperation. I sincerely hope Beltrán lit into Runge with full force. Hell, he was going to get fined anyway. Faced with such a no-lose situation, my custom was to immediately and forcefully call into question the marital status of the umpire’s parents when he was born, the moral rectitude of his wife and his own reproductive shortcomings (emphasis on the short part).

Umpires like Brian Runge and Joe West don’t deserve to hold their current positions.

EeV

Eddie, I think you had WAY too much fun writing that post. It was enjoyable to read.

As a former umpire, I am all too familiar with the difficulty of balancing managing a game well and being human. It's tough. But no way should any ump feel above it all.

Oh, and thanks for the vocab lesson.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
True, but whatever happens thay have managed to give you a season and also give you fans something to look forward to. Their future looks bright. They sort of remind in some ways like the 1984 Mets which contended for a little while but fell short to the Cubs. That was their first winning season after those miserable years in the late 70's and early 80's.

Dis: There is a couple that are neighbors to me, he is 87 yrs. old and she is 85 yrs old. A year ago she didn't know a thing about baseball.(He does) They bought themselves a 50 inch HD Tv. and she started watching the Rays. As of this day, she not only understands the game but knows the complete lineup by heart including the pitchers and relievers. The two of them went to the Trop a week ago to see (I think it was Houston) a ball game. Paid $40.00 a ticket and the Rays got beat, like 9-2 ? Needless to say she was disappointed. In this recent series with the Fish, 1st game Percival walked 4 batters,in the ninth(survived) I saw her the next day and told her that Maddon should have pulled him after the 3rd walk, her reply to me was "no they don't like to do that, it destroys their confidence for games later on". I said Yeah your right yup ah huh, that's right. In the next breath she tells me she had to leave the room during that 9th inning because she was shaking from nervousness. Her husband makes her leave the room for fear she will have a stroke. Told me she took her blood pressure after the game and it was 200/110. That's how serious she takes the game. If she is not careful, the Rays will be the death of her. Jokingly, I asked her what her BP was after they win a game. She said Oh! it takes me awhile to calm down. She has a great sense of humor, so I said to her, it a good thing you didn't take up the game earlier in your life or you would be pushing up daisy by now. Said,I know, I can't control myself. So I said. Lets hope you make through the season.

Big test tomorrow for Pelfrey, hopefully the offense produces for him, takes some pressure off him.

Fast Eddie in SC wrote:

As one who has had more than a few run-ins with umpires in his day, I would like to comment on the Runge-Manuel-Beltrán fracas the other night. First of all, this nonsense about not being allowed to question a ball-strike call is ridiculous. Since when did the HP umpire acquire papal infallibility? Does anyone remember the disgraceful job turned in by Eric Gregg during the 1997 playoffs? The Human Hamburger had a strike zone as wide as his own posterior that day. If you can’t stand a little criticism, you should look for line of work that doesn’t involve human contact.
Secondly, Brian Runge unnecessarily prolonged the contretemps by removing his mask and dusting off a clean plate. That was baiting the player, pure and simple. Remember what Redneck Joe West did to Von Hayes about 15 years ago, tossing Hayes out of a game for a belated comment he made to his first-base coach (while he was standing on the base) about a pitch call he disagreed with during his just-concluded turn at bat. The comment was not about West, nor was it directed to him. West simply overheard the remark and decided that Hayes needed to get the boot. Sometimes umpires confuse themselves with God.
Then Runge deliberately bumped Manuel. It’s bad enough when players physically abuse umpires--and that includes spitting, Roberto Alomar--but it is doubly offensive when the authority figure does it to those under his control. In a way, umpires are accorded a special kind of trust and respect by virtue of the position they hold. The same goes for police officers and priests. It is especially loathsome when we learn that a cop has turned criminal or that a priest has been messing with the altar boys. Umpires, like cops and the clergy, are held to a higher standard; punishment should be swift and severe when the trust is broken.
And finally, Runge made a big mistake when he tossed the mild-mannered Beltrán so quickly after he continued to complain about the call. I know a player who was once bounced for saying “Incredible”; Steve Garvey got the heave-ho for saying the terrible phrase “Bear down, ump.” And I have personally been ejected for saying things like “Yes” and “No.”(Honest, I am not making this up.) Once the player is ejected, there is no reason for the player to hold back on the vituperation. I sincerely hope Beltrán lit into Runge with full force. Hell, he was going to get fined anyway. Faced with such a no-lose situation, my custom was to immediately and forcefully call into question the marital status of the umpire’s parents when he was born, the moral rectitude of his wife and his own reproductive shortcomings (emphasis on the short part).
Umpires like Brian Runge and Joe West don’t deserve to hold their current positions.
EeV

the ball/strike rule, set by mlb, not the umpires, was designed to speed up the game, butthead. if the game took as long as your uninformed, longwinded email, the game would be palyed 24/7...

Met Mad Hatter wrote:

<quoted text>I don't think the Mets have a depleted farm system as every so called Pro Scoutt thinks. The problem with the Mets is that this GM has a hard time admitting his mistakes. Those 5 pitchers we traded last year most (4) are in the majors. I wouldn't call that depleted. There are some good players down there it's just that Minayh won't admitt his plan is a failure.

We are sort of depleted if the best they have is to fill in gaps with the likes of Vargas, Figueroa and Armas ,Jr. We don't have a pitching gem waiting to be called upon. Jonathan Niese is the closest thing to a gem that we have. Kunz is so-so...nothing special coming out of him. Muniz, Collazzo...same just ordinary. So I think the scouts have a point.

Clearwater Pete wrote:

<quoted text>Dis: There is a couple that are neighbors to me, he is 87 yrs. old and she is 85 yrs old. A year ago she didn't know a thing about baseball.(He does) They bought themselves a 50 inch HD Tv. and she started watching the Rays. As of this day, she not only understands the game but knows the complete lineup by heart including the pitchers and relievers. The two of them went to the Trop a week ago to see (I think it was Houston) a ball game. Paid $40.00 a ticket and the Rays got beat, like 9-2 ? Needless to say she was disappointed. In this recent series with the Fish, 1st game Percival walked 4 batters,in the ninth(survived) I saw her the next day and told her that Maddon should have pulled him after the 3rd walk, her reply to me was "no they don't like to do that, it destroys their confidence for games later on". I said Yeah your right yup ah huh, that's right. In the next breath she tells me she had to leave the room during that 9th inning because she was shaking from nervousness. Her husband makes her leave the room for fear she will have a stroke. Told me she took her blood pressure after the game and it was 200/110. That's how serious she takes the game. If she is not careful, the Rays will be the death of her. Jokingly, I asked her what her BP was after they win a game. She said Oh! it takes me awhile to calm down. She has a great sense of humor, so I said to her, it a good thing you didn't take up the game earlier in your life or you would be pushing up daisy by now. Said,I know, I can't control myself. So I said. Lets hope you make through the season.

Holy cow Pete....better pray and hope that the Rays don't go on a long losing streak. Tell her to take it easy. I am almost had a stoke just reading her blood pressure.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
We are sort of depleted if the best they have is to fill in gaps with the likes of Vargas, Figueroa and Armas ,Jr. We don't have a pitching gem waiting to be called upon. Jonathan Niese is the closest thing to a gem that we have. Kunz is so-so...nothing special coming out of him. Muniz, Collazzo...same just ordinary. So I think the scouts have a point.

Possibly depeleted at the pitching position. Niese is a good on though. The position players. Well I think we have som players there. Let's remember that Kazmir was ours in the minors. Pelfrey maybe turning the corner he's showing signs of that. Pitching is a proble for the entire majors, but position players that's a different story. Omar is trying to win the ring now and that is why he is picking off the scrap heap with players like figuroa and Vargas. He is trying to catch lightning in a bottle so he can win a championship before he goes into the new field, unfortunately this was his stratergy for the past 3 yrs and it's a failure, he should have tried to build a team not force one. Remember last year we traded 4 relievers , one with major league experience(being Bell), and a good starter( being Bannister) and received nothing in return. We took a starter in Heilman, who has more than 2 pitches and made him a reliever, and the starter who beat him out in spring training by a hair we traded for a reliever whom has fallen to injury and is now doing a Claude Reins. No Dis, depletion is not our problem mismanagement is. You see we have 2 guys to do the eight. Munchie man and Heilman. And now that everyone admits that Heilman has 3 or maybe more pitches they will never re-establish him as a starter. You see we got rid of a stupid abusive pitching coach and now the relievers are coming back to form.

Met Mad Hatter wrote:

<quoted text>Possibly depeleted at the pitching position. Niese is a good on though. The position players. Well I think we have som players there. Let's remember that Kazmir was ours in the minors. Pelfrey maybe turning the corner he's showing signs of that. Pitching is a proble for the entire majors, but position players that's a different story. Omar is trying to win the ring now and that is why he is picking off the scrap heap with players like figuroa and Vargas. He is trying to catch lightning in a bottle so he can win a championship before he goes into the new field, unfortunately this was his stratergy for the past 3 yrs and it's a failure, he should have tried to build a team not force one. Remember last year we traded 4 relievers , one with major league experience(being Bell), and a good starter( being Bannister) and received nothing in return. We took a starter in Heilman, who has more than 2 pitches and made him a reliever, and the starter who beat him out in spring training by a hair we traded for a reliever whom has fallen to injury and is now doing a Claude Reins. No Dis, depletion is not our problem mismanagement is. You see we have 2 guys to do the eight. Munchie man and Heilman. And now that everyone admits that Heilman has 3 or maybe more pitches they will never re-establish him as a starter. You see we got rid of a stupid abusive pitching coach and now the relievers are coming back to form.

They have another guy in AA ball, Aguilar, record of 8-1, draft choice from 2005 I think, so he may be a prospect too. Dylan Owen at ST. Lucie having another good season after pitching very good for Brooklyn last year. So there are some more prospects in low level minors.

Brad Holt's Brooklyn debut.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/artic...

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
We are sort of depleted if the best they have is to fill in gaps with the likes of Vargas, Figueroa and Armas ,Jr. We don't have a pitching gem waiting to be called upon. Jonathan Niese is the closest thing to a gem that we have. Kunz is so-so...nothing special coming out of him. Muniz, Collazzo...same just ordinary. So I think the scouts have a point.

Kunz has 20 saves at AA Dis. ERA is high, but 20 saves is pretty impressive number. He's a good prospect

DLee wrote:

Brad Holt's Brooklyn debut.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/artic...

We can thank Tom Glavine for his departure which allowed us to get this guy.

TMAN-METS wrote:

<quoted text> Kunz has 20 saves at AA Dis. ERA is high, but 20 saves is pretty impressive number. He's a good prospect

Well your right...I should have checked his stats.
I did notice a good thing and not too good thing about him....his walks and hits allowed are high which is probably the result of his ERA......but he has not given up a HR in 34 2/3 innings. Probably not pitching a lot of clean innings which is something he may need to sharpen up on....but the ability seems to be there....he may be one year away.

Another guy to keep an eye on is Caleb Stewart who is also on that AA team. Batting .290 (51 hits in 176 AB's) with 7 HR's and 28 RBI in 51 games.. Of those 51 hits, 14 are doubles, 2 triples and 7 HR's. Kid has got some pop.

Carp and Evans are still pounding the baseball....the best part of what I see in these kids (including Stewart and Murphy) is that they have been consistent all year long.

Omar better keep his hands off and not make a stupid trade and give up any of these guys. They could be a good foundation along with F-Mart to build on with Wright and Reyes as their leaders.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
We can thank Tom Glavine for his departure which allowed us to get this guy.

Yeah, but I miss Glavine's professionalism and calm mound demeanor, even when he was getting drubbed. What a class act.

Tman mets is a fraud.....gotcha unbiased. so when you start ripping apart the rest of the forum, YOU will be exposed.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
Well your right...I should have checked his stats.
I did notice a good thing and not too good thing about him....his walks and hits allowed are high which is probably the result of his ERA......but he has not given up a HR in 34 2/3 innings. Probably not pitching a lot of clean innings which is something he may need to sharpen up on....but the ability seems to be there....he may be one year away.

He definitely has some work to do before they can think about bringing him up, but he seems to be progressing nicely so far.