The beleaguered Mets GM probably figured 36,000 feet high would be a safe place to escape his critics and watch 27 Dresses on a 10-inch screen. He was wrong.
Reader Jason sends in this photo, along with the backstory:
So I’m settling into my seat on a VERY inexpensive Jetblue flight to Chicago to see the Mets in Wrigley when I notice the flight attendant having a hard time closing the overhead compartment because of someone’s bag. After she sheepishly looks around for the culprit—he identifies himself. Since everyone was already seated and ready to fly, the apparently inconsiderate passenger was on stage for all to see. It was none other than Omar Minaya himself. What I didn’t say before is that this flight is CRAWLING with Mets fans making the pligramage to Wrigely. At once the plane is abuzz. One young man in 18A shouts out “I woulda traded frenchy three months ago” another says “Better live it up, this is probably your last flight to chicago as GM”. Delighted by the impromptu celebrity roast I chimed in with “I bet they flew Mike Jacobs in business class, at least”. We all laughed in unison—he sat down and put his headphones on, a defeated man.
We wonder if he was able to find a power bat in the SkyMall catalog.
The fact that Takahashi has been so successful in the relief role seems to suggest that he remains there, but the only real difference between his perfomance as a starter and as a reliever appears to be the amount of home runs allowed. It is likely that Takahashi (or any other pitcher, for that matter) would allow more home runs as a starter than as a reliever, but not to the extent that Takahashi has in his one major league season: a 1.54 HR/9 as a starter against a 0.18 HR/9 as a reliever. It’s far more likely that Takahashi would allow a 1.00 HR/9 as a starter like he has overall this season. With that kind of home run line, his 2.6 K/BB would play quite well in a starting role.
The fact that Hisanori Takahashi has given up a multitude of home runs as a starter belies the kind of season that he is having. In reality, Takahashi has shown that he has no problem retiring Major League hitters. Yes, he may be more suited to a relief role – in reality, most pitchers are – but there’s certainly reason to believe that he can succeed in a starting role. If that is indeed the case, teams should target him as a starter – not only would Takahashi be more likely to sign, but the increased amount of innings would lead to more value added to the team as well.
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday settled a Mississippi lawsuit over a 2001 accident in which a New York Mets prospect was killed when his SUV crashed in the Florida Panhandle, a lawyer for the player’s family said.
The settlement came shortly after the jury in Jasper County had awarded $131 million in actual damages to Cole’s family and before it was to consider possible punitive damages, Tab Turner, an attorney for the family of Brian Cole, told The Associated Press.
Turner, from Little Rock, Ark., said the settlement amount and terms were confidential.
“The family is glad this is finally over. I thought the verdict was an appropriate response to the evidence. They put zero percent of the fault on Brian Cole and 100 percent of the fault on Ford Motor Co. for a defective and unreasonably dangerous vehicle,” Turner said.
Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans said the accident was a tragedy and the company offered its sympathy to the Cole family for their loss.
However, Evans said in a statement that the Mississippi court “denied Ford a fair trial by excluding evidence that the jury should have heard and considered about Brian’s driving and the speculative nature of plaintiffs’ claims.”
The Rangers have acquired right-handed hitting outfielder Jeff Francoeur from the Mets for infielder Joaquin Arias, who was designated for assignment last week.
The only trade discussion with any traction for the Rangers involves Jeff Francoeur, a right-handed-hitting outfielder for the Mets. A source said that talks with Boston for Mike Lowell, Colorado for Ryan Spilborghs and Los Angeles for Reed Johnson have broken off after those clubs determined that those players are not expendable.
Colorado acquired Delcarmen from the Red Sox for Minor League right-hander Chris Balcom-Miller and cash considerations. It wasn’t immediately known how much of Delcarmen’s salary his new club would assume.
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman says there are discussions involving Rangers’ infielder Joaquin Arias in exchange for the Mets’ Jeff Francoeur… Heyman adds, “rangers and mets are indeed talking about francoeur. would give rangers OF flexibility, extra righty bat”.
The Salvation Miracles Revival Crusade starts here!
Ironically, Wright overall is a model of Major League consistency. His OPS over the years has been .857, .912, .912, .963, .924, .837 and (this year) .872. His batting average has ranged from .293 (rookie) to .325. Take out 2009 and the homer spread is as narrow as we can reasonably expect, too.
That overall performance has made Wright a five-time all-star and probably the best position player in team history. His similar batters through age 26 include two Hall of Famers and one other hitter, Dick Allen, who should be in there (Allen was a FAR better hitter than Jim Rice, for example, and even more “feared” if that’s the standard set by Rice’s nomination).
But Wright is really stuck in the vortex of the Mets suckitude right now and that’s sucking the life out of an otherwise solid claim to at least very goodness in a borderline Hall of Fame way.
If this problem when games are most on the line is merely random, Wright needs his luck to quickly turn and for his true ability level to be better represented in late/clutch stats. And then he needs the Mets to start winning so that his good performances in the clutch can be more easily remembered by our lazy minds.
Former Mets reliever Ambiorix Burgos has more legal issues in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican newspaper Listin Diario reports Burgos, 26, was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping and is accused of trying to poison his ex-wife.
Authorities say Burgos drugged his ex-wife with rat poison. She was found semi-conscious and dizzy and later hospitalized. Burgos was reportedly caught en route to Santo Domingo in his white Hummer with his ex-wife in the car. The ex-wife had been hiding in the district attorney’s home in Nagua, D.R., because of alleged threats on her life.
Spanish speakers can read the original account here.
Burgos, who was acquired by the Mets from the Kansas City Royals for Brian Bannister, last appeared in the majors in 2007.
When people say So and So is a bad person, well, okay fine. But at least they haven’t killed anybody. This guy is the Dominican O.J.
Still, after spending a decade and a half bouncing around the minor leagues, he’s in a particularly good position to appreciate what he’s got going at the moment.
“I do feel like as I have gotten older, and grasped a better understanding of what is important, it has made this experience very rich,” Dickey said. “On reflection, I don’t think I would have had the equipment, or possessed what it took, to enjoy the experience this deeply. It gives you real empathy for what it takes to get here, and I don’t take that lightly.”
Another function of his age, maybe, is that he’s remarkably self-aware, and frank, about the reasons for his success. One of them is simply that he’s figured out a way to play the game that’s not too hard on his body.
“I recover very quickly, because as a knuckleballer, I don’t operate at 100 percent capacity,” Dickey said. “So it allows me to work on my craft a little bit more, because it doesn’t take as much of a toll on my arm.”
Yes, much in the same way La Barra de Chocolates and The Rolling Stones are very similar.
Ike Davis’s big league arrival this spring brought both offensive and defensive prowess back to first base in full force, as he won fans over with his towering frame, towering home runs and defensive excellence.
...For now, Davis is in the midst of his first major league slump, one that has dropped his batting average, suppressed his power and hurt his Rookie of the Year candidacy.
...Two advanced stats offer historical perspective on Olerud’s Mets tenure:
• Win Probability Added takes every plate appearance in player’s season and looks at how much it contributed to winning or losing. In each of Olerud’s three years with the Mets, he was their most valuable hitter. Olerud’s combined score from 1997 to 1999 rated fifth-best in all of baseball, trailing only Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Larry Walker and Jeff Bagwell.
• Wins Above Replacement (WAR) attempts to combine a player’s hitting, baserunning, defense and position played into a single value. Olerud ranked ninth-best in baseball during his time as a Met, but his defense rates tops among those at the position. In fact, using those metrics, his defense at first base ranks second in Mets history to Keith Hernandez.
So now they’re allowing scungy Beer Money contestants to ask the questions? Interesting.
Do you agree David Wright will never be able to carry a team for lengths of time,and if so, how would you address that issue?
Bob Ojeda: There are very few athletes who can “carry a team,” but David is one who is an impact player. His defense coupled with his offense make him the most valuable player on the Mets.
Hey Bob, I think the Mets are lacking serious grit this year. What do you think of adding David Eckstein and Scott Podsednik in the off-season? If not, what traits should the Mets look for in players this offseason?
Bob Ojeda: I always think it’s important to add people who are athletic. If you’re athletic you can make up for some of your mistakes and your slumps tend to be shorter. As far as fiery, grit, etc.—I think that comes from the manager and what’s expected from you day in and day out.
Why dont the mets like francouer to bring him back next year. He’s a great defensive player and has great offensive potential.
Bob Ojeda: Francoeur is in right field, a position where you can’t get by on defense. He has to provide offense. Saving runs with a good arm is not enough.
Right now we’re probably going to try to see how far we can go with…Ruben Tejada’s .203 SLG?!?!?! (I’m running out of ink)
Luis Castillo arrived for work at Citi Field Wednesday, looked at the starting lineup and didn’t know what to think. He did know that Jerry Manuel had spent the season rewarding good play with a start the next day. After driving in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday, he didn’t see his name.
“I thought I would be playing tonight but I am not making the lineup. What is going on here? I don’t know what he’s doing,” Castillo said of Manuel. “All I can do is the best I can. That’s how you try to play more. ... but I am disappointed.”
Instead, Ruben Tejada started at second base for the fifth straight game. Castillo isn’t a starting player for the first time in his career and it isn’t sitting well. He told the Daily News that he and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, will try to get him into a situation where he can play every day again.
“I think we will talk to them about that,” Castillo said. “I need to be in a different kind of situation. I don’t know what they want to do. I want an opportunity to play, and if it is here, then I am happy. If it is somewhere else, then that’s what it is.”
“Right now we’re probably going to try to see how far we can go with Ruben,” Manuel said of the rookie. “As with every guy that plays on a team, especially a veteran player like Louie, there will be times where we’re going to feel like we have to give him some at-bats to keep him productive in the role that he was placed in.”
The problem: Just as the New York Knicks had to tank a couple of seasons while clearing cap space for a free-agent run at LeBron James, the Mets may have to bide their time until 2012 before resuming relevance.
Only then will the Mets potentially have cleared $51.5 million in salary off the books from four players alone.
In the interim, the Mets may be forced into a budget-induced youth movement and will be at the mercy of whether current rookies Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Jenrry Mejia and Ruben Tejada thrive as sophomores—a big if.
***
A team official already acknowledged to ESPNNewYork.com that there will be no run at a pitcher the caliber of free-agent-to-be Cliff Lee. The Mets will not have a pair of $20 million-plus pitchers in their rotation. Santana already is due to make $22.5 million in 2011. He has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract beyond next year.
In reality, wide-ranging monetary issues suggest the Mets will be conservative in their offseason spending
Two players tested positive for an amphetamine and earned 50-game suspensions.
The Kinney in question is Matt Kinney, who spent parts of five years in the majors, most recently 2005. The Hodge is Mets’ minor leaguer Lachlan Hodge.
“Lawn Logo” is about to hit the market, and as the New Jersey-based company behind it touts, “suburbia may never look the same.”
Starting with 14 major league teams, do-it-yourself kits first will be sold for an unspecified introductory price on QVC on Aug. 31. They will be sold at select retailers, including True Value and Ace hardware stores, with a suggested retail price of $129.99.
The kits, officially licensed by Major League Baseball, include a 52-inch reusable stencil and enough spray paint, in the team’s official colors and designed for grass, for several applications. There is no guarantee, of course, that the kits will not be used to paint the sides of houses, abandoned buildings or subway cars.
According to the company’s website, the teams available first are: NYY, BOS, CWS, DET, MIN, LAA, TEX, ATL, NYM, PHI, CHC, CIN, STL, and LAD
God, I love Vin Scully. He just finished addressing the media after it was announced he was returning for another season. He sounded as humble as ever, embarrassed even by the attention given to him, and got choked up during his session with the media. He mentioned that he still has a love for the game, that the wins or losses don’t matter to him because the Dodgers to him are a relationship, like a marriage, he said. Well, that marriage is set to last for a 62nd year in 2011.
Scully was asked about his favorite moments, and he said, “If I were to talk about memorable moments, Leo Tolstoy would have to rewrite War & Peace.” Vin still gets goosebumps, mentioning specifically the great behind the back play by Eric Young, Jr. earlier in the week in the series with the Rockies. Scully said he went home that night, still excited that baseball can make him feel this way. So remember that, Dodger fans, if you ever want to boo EY2, think twice.
The line of the day by Scully was when he quipped, “Now that they have Rod Barajas, that was the clincher.”
Go Happy. Go HoJo! (book in advance and save face)
The day after Jerry Manuel called the Mets’ offense “pathetic,” hitting coach Howard Johnson convened a meeting before Friday’s game and harshly criticized his hitters for their recent performances and pregame card-playing, team sources told the Daily News.
“It was really in your face, and some guys didn’t like that, but it needed to be said,” one player said.
Johnson later confirmed the meeting but denied that he mentioned the card games, as did other players. According to multiple sources, though, Johnson did mention that issue.
The coach also appeared to disapprove of Manuel’s comments, before backtracking.
“I don’t think it’s good for guys to be criticized,” Johnson said. “I think in the media you have to be careful. I think that guys took that a little personal and stuff when that stuff was said. But, you know, whatever. That’s the world we’re living in, and we have to deal with it.”
“Kiner’s Korner” is getting a new life online, providing Mets fans with a chance to see Ralph Kiner in his television heyday as the host of Channel 9’s postgame (and rain delay) show from a cramped studio in Shea Stadium.
Starting Tuesday, SNY.tv. will post the first of nine weekly webisodes that combine clips from Kiner’s postgame interviews and new chats between him and the host Ted Berg for the Mets network’s dip into nostalgia.
“When I’m in town or in the car, people yell out, ‘Kiner’s Korner,’” Kiner said by telephone Friday. “I can’t tell you how many people tell me that they grew up with ‘Kiner’s Korner.’”
The footage that will be seen is about all that is known to have been rediscovered. Only some of it is usable.
Nearly all the “Korners” are gone, tossed out or taped over at a time when few local stations, networks or teams understood the value of a video archive of their history and broadcasts.
During their move to Citi Field from Shea before the 2009 season, the Mets gave SNY a box of unlabeled videotapes. Some of them were the “Korners,” and others were team marketing films made from 1962 to 1988, which the network turned into the “Mets Yearbooks” series that has been running since last year.
The reports the manager says he sees do not offer much hope. Jerry Manuel indicated on Friday he does not expect to see outfielder Jason Bay return to the playing field this year. Bay, Manuel said, continues to suffer from concussive symptoms and has yet to resume baseball activity. So Manuel is not planning for his imminent return.
“That’s way I see it,” Manuel said. “I could be way out of line. Way out of bounds. But that’s the way I see it.”
...Should he not return – and considering the length of his contract, the size of the team’s investment and the vagaries of concussions, rest seems an optimal choice – Bay will finish with six home runs and 47 RBI. He triple-slashed .259/.347/.402. He struck out 91 times.
“When you forecast your winter, and you bring in that piece,” Manuel said, “then you didn’t get all that you wanted. And you’re thinking ‘Well, at least at some point, that’s going to happen for me.’ So it’s difficult not to ever see.
“That’s the strange thing about his particular situation. He played good baseball, don’t get me wrong. But you never saw that power and all that that his history had indicated: 39 home runs, averaging 30 and 100. The RBIs would have been something that we would have really liked to see. The home runs, that would have been good, too. But I think the RBIs is the thing that I would have most liked to have seen.”
Yeah…but a 40 HR - 47 RBI season would have been a righteous mofo blast.
Since Francisco Rodriguez suffered a season-ending hand injury while allegedly assaulting his girlfriend’s father in the family lounge at Citi Field last week, the Mets have increased their security presence monitoring players, police sources said.
Before the incident, which resulted in the Mets attempting to avoid paying Rodriguez for this season and the Players Association filing a grievance on the closer’s behalf, the Mets typically employed one guard, home and away.
But since K-Rod’s outburst, the Mets have increased the number of security guards assigned to tail players on buses, planes and hotels. And the guards are drawn from a more experienced pool than before, police sources said.
“The Mets are forced to baby-sit their investment,” a police source said. “They can’t afford another mess. So they upped the number of chaperones.”
Said another source: “Now the big shots in Mets security travel with the players, on the bus, plane and hotel. Watching so they don’t get in some stupid season-damning fight.”
Back in the 80’s…I saw someone try and set the ultra-pestiferous N.J. Nets mascot (I forget the beastly name) on fire. Crowd cheered.
Tomar:...Ultimately, I think the hostility directed at the Phanatic is really meant for us. It’s a tired stereotype to talk about the unique brutality in the mindset of a Philly sports fan. On most nights, Citizens Bank Park is a highly positive atmosphere where the fans support their team with far more intensity than that with which they boo opposing players or heckle fans of the other team. I suspect there is no stadium where fans don’t occasionally drink too much and behave like animals.
Still, this is a cliche generally directed at Philly sports fans. Some fans in Kansas City jumped out of their seats and beat the snot out of a first base coach some years back. And instead of being known for its terrible fans, Kansas is known for its endless stretches of nothingness.
Bill Buckner, of course, received countless death threats until he moved out of New England. In spite of this, Bostonians are known less for their sports lunacy than for the hilarious way that they pronounce ‘chowder’.
With respect to his stupidity, how different is the Philly fan really? Well, something that does truly differentiate us from the typical fan is that we get to watch the greatest mascot in all of sports.
“...I called him and said, ‘Kid, what happened to you?’ He said, ‘I’m here, President, heading to the stadium.’ He was entering the stadium.’
“We love you, Kid,” Chávez continued. “Control your impulses. The Kid Rodriguez. The pride of all of us. Young man of this nation. Of course, over there in a difficult world. Difficult.”
Whu…you should want Silva as manager? (mighty silvanian pounding Zingg right there)
Jerry Manuel’s dismissal after the season seems imminent, so discussion about the Mets’ next manager has materialized. One name that consistently pops up, for some reason, is Wally Backman, former Mets second baseman and current manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones. I say “for some reason” because at first glance he seems as qualified for the job as a 25 year-old applying to be the Chief Financial Officer of a billion dollar corporation. His snapshot résumé (never coached in MLB, has never managed above Double-A and that was seven years ago) would justifiably be tossed in the initial screening reject pile if he had equivalent credentials while applying for any other job.
Regardless, he is a Met fan favorite, and it is possible that my own initial screening is myopic. A more in-depth look at the possibility of Backman, Mets manager, is in order.
...I’ve tried to be fair in this piece. I’ve largely ignored Backman’s prior personal problems. His résumé just isn’t strong enough to warrant serious consideration, for a rational organization. Unfortunately, this is the Mets. If Manuel is fired, I would not be shocked to see Backman hired and marketed as the big offseason acquisition. From “significant [character] clause” in his Single-A contract to leading a ~$130 million payroll team in just one year. A true Horatio Alger success story.
As for my desired potential replacement for Jerry—someone from outside the organization is preferable. Bobby Valentine is one intriguing name. Joe Torre is not. If the Mets opt to promote from within, Double-A Binghamton manager (and ‘86 Met!) Tim Teufel and Triple-A manager Ken Oberkfell have been with the organization for some time now and are preferable to Backman. This subject will be given closer scrutiny at a later date, but for now, say no to Backman as manager.
The MLB players union has gone too far. Finally, inarguably, the union has gone too far, and this money-seeking, drug-allowing, behavior-excusing juggernaut must be stopped.
And it must be stopped by the New York Mets.
...Only, the rumors out of New York are that the players union would fight the Mets should the team try to void K-Rod’s contract. To which I say: Fight the union, Mets. Major advances in labor strife often revolve around one person. Baseball has Curt Flood, the father of free agency. He’s a hero to players.
K-Rod could be an antihero to the rest of us, those of us who are tired of paying up to $500 for tickets, parking and concessions at a single baseball game because the team’s payroll is $94 million and the cleanup hitter earns $18 million and the fourth outfielder makes $6 million and all of those chumps look like they’ve used steroids, and some of them no doubt have, and the union has been the hammer the players have swung to make all of that happen.
Enough is enough.
The union must go down. Not all unions, just this one. This union, this MLB players union that has run amok for too long, must go down. Who’s K-Rod? He’s nobody, really. Just the captain of the ship.
The announcement came in a conference call in which the Mets said they were placing Rodriguez on the disqualified list and would not pay him until he was capable of pitching.
After Rodriguez, the Mets’ closer, was injured in a fight, many people in baseball thought the team would simply attempt to penalize him by not paying him for the remainder of this season and would start fresh with him in spring training next season. Instead, the team took a tougher and more provocative approach by converting Rodriguez’s guaranteed contract — $11.5 million next season, with a $17.5 million option in 2012 — into a nonguaranteed one.
The move, which has little if any precedent in Major League Baseball, gives the Mets far more flexibility if they want to release Rodriguez at any point in the coming months.
Under a nonguaranteed contract, Rodriguez, in 2011, would be paid a relatively minor portion of his contract during spring training, assuming he was still on the roster. Eventually, on a cutoff date before the season began, the Mets would have to either release Rodriguez and terminate the remainder of his contract or guarantee all the money that remained.
If the Mets are looking for another inconsistent player to acquire for Wright in a trade, perhaps they can go after someone like Chase Utley (who posted a .615 OPS in September 2009), Derek Jeter (who had a .622 OPS last month), or Ichiro Suzuki—whose shifting production in 2004 led to an April line of .255/.309/.304, followed by a May at .400/.436/.496.
Which is it, Ichiro? When will you make up your mind?
Until the Mets mercifully bring the David Wright Era to a close, fans will be left to dream of a day, far in the future, when the team replaces No. 5 with a consistent performer like Tim Bogar, who never raised fan hopes with a season that cracked the .700 OPS barrier during his four seasons in New York.
Bogar’s consistency wasn’t perfect, of course—he did post a .300/.364/.633 line in August 1993—but it was by far the exception. Tim Bogar, in other words, is exactly the kind of third baseman critics of David Wright deserve.
As reported by Andy Martino of the Daily News and many others. He is out for the season. Apparently the injury stems from last week’s clubhouse incident. It’s all surreal at this point.
Blessed with the majors’ fifth-highest payroll (a staggering $132,701,445) and a roster featuring seven players with All-Star resumes, the Mets have defied the odds by putting to sleep the nation’s largest city. Oh, at 58-59 the Mets are neither especially bad nor especially good. They won’t contend for the playoffs and they won’t fall below Washington into last place in the NL East. They won’t dazzle, they won’t irk. They merely exist. Yawn.
To call the Mets dreadful is an insult to dread. The 1962 Mets were dreadful, but in an endearing sort of way. The 2003 Tigers were dreadful, but nobody expected much of a club starting Warren Morris at second base.
No, the 2010 Mets are simply worthless. They are a listless, heartless, wretched baseball team; an entertainment value sans entertainment, playing ugly within the confines of beautiful new Citi Field.
...The roster: Put simply, the Mets’ roster doesn’t work. Jose Reyes is one of the best shortstops in baseball, and David Wright can say the same at third. When healthy, Carlos Beltran is an elite center fielder. Ike Davis looks excellent at first base. Angel Pagan makes a superb fourth outfielder. Johan Santana still throws nasty stuff and, uh…. That’s about it. Save for Wright, the middle of the lineup is a wasteland. Castillo, once an All-Star with the Marlins, might be the least-motivated ballplayer in America. Maine hasn’t contributed anything good in 2 1/2 years. Perez is a head case. Jon Niese reminds one of Joe Price.
The Throneberry that stirs the Dickster or something…
There are fewer beat reporters than there used to be, thanks to the decline of newspaper budgets, but a still-ample group of them—from the Post, the Daily News, the Star-Ledger, Newsday—surrounded Francoeur, along with television, radio, assorted columnists and feature writers. Everyone knew that, despite his struggles, Francoeur, a gregarious guy who, unlike many of his teammates, is a native English-speaker, would happily provide good quotes. This is not how most players uninvolved in the game’s outcome are treated when they walk from the showers back beyond the press-authorized area to their lockers.
THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, AFTER THE ONE ABOUT THE PLAY he didn’t attempt to make on Hamels, was about the play he didn’t attempt to make on Hamels. (Throwing out the runner at first from right field is a tough play to make, but not an impossible one, as shown last night by Angel Pagan.)
Francoeur reiterated that he had no play, then followed up by saying, “That was a great-pitched game by the Dickster,” drawing guffaws from the group. “I love calling him that. That was a huge, huge win for us. Now you can stop writing about us not winning back-to-back games.”
If the Mets were really so disgusted with K-Rod why did their manager—less than 24 hours after the incident, but before an announced suspension—state Thursday that he was hoping to use Rodriguez in that day’s game? Does that mean the Mets are lying about their anger or that they forgot to inform lame-duck Jerry Manuel what the organizational temperament was on the issue?
If the Mets were really so revolted by Rodriguez’s actions then why on Friday was their designated spokesman of the day, Omar Minaya, offering no such sentiments and, in fact, calling what Rodriguez did the kind of “mistake” that you expect from all 25 of your players? Really, the Mets believe all 25 of their players are capable of making the “mistake” of repeatedly punching in the face the grandfather of their children in the Citi Field family room while other friends and family of players looked on?
So, again, were the Mets lying about their anger or did they also forget to inform their lame-duck GM that the organization was outraged that one of its players was arrested for third-degree assault and second-degree harassment?
And if the Mets owners really wanted a longer suspension than the two games and didn’t get it, what does that say about their power as an organization? If they really wanted to express this kind of disgust, they own the stadium. They could have stood in front of the same Citi Field/SNY drape that K-Rod did yesterday and expressed that fury directly to the fans.
(17 - 9:46pm, Sep 05)
Last: broth of abominable things (CoB)