NEWS: LIVAN HERNANDEZ NAMED AS 5^TH STARTER

 

VIEWS: Who’d a thunk it? Wasn’t this supposed to be a competition between Tim Redding and Jon Niese? Redding in my opinion is being held back more for conditioning reasons and I guess that Omar feels Niese needs more work. How much better is Livan over Niese? When the name Livan Hernandez is brought up the first words out of the Mets mouths is “he’s an innings eater” which is the equivalent as the blind date that has “a great personality” As long as Livan is the 5^th starter and not the 4^th or God forbid 3^rd, the Mets will be okay.  What is not talked about enough is the lack of depth in starting pitching if the Mets lose two or more starters to injury. That’s why Dillon Gee got the start the other day as he has leaped over Nelson Figueroa, Brandon Knight and Tony Armas on the depth chart. Bradley Holt is above those slugs as well.

 

NEWS: GOOD OLLIE SHOWED UP LAST NIGHT IN ST. LONESOME

 

VIEWS: Get used to it. Some things can’t be explained. Trying to figure out which OP will show up at any time is like trying to understand how Keith Richards is still draws breaths.

 

NEWS: MURPHY WILL BAT IN THE 2 HOLE

 

VIEWS: The only guy I know who would disagree with this is Willie Randolph. (let that be the last Willie Randolph mention) Sure Gimp is a most suited for the either of the first two spots in the lineup but the fact is Murphy is too good to bat in the bottom third of the lineup so Gimp has to take a spot in the 8 hole. Does Castillo mind batting 8^th? Who cares?

 

NEWS: METS SIGN KEN TAKAHASHI

 

VIEWS: The Mets were rumored early in the off season to have interest in Takahashi who signed with the Blue Jays but was released. Takahashi will join the LOGGY’s On Parade in Buffalo with Casey Fossum, Adam Bostick, Jon Switzer and Heribert Ruelas. You can be sure one of this group will be called up the first time the Mets and Phillies get together.

 

NEWS: JOHAN SANTANA DOES A MEAN JAY HOROWITZ IMPERSONATION

 

 

VIEWS: Great job by Zoe Rice to get this clip of Kevin Burkhardt interviewing Johan Santana and Santana doing his impression of Jay Horowitz. I think it’s safe to say that Santana is enjoying being a Met.

 

NEWS: TOM SEAVER AND MIKE PIAZZA TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH AT $ITI FIELD

 

 

VIEWS: Seaver is The FRANCHISE and Piazza played a huge role in the revival of the  franchise but where is the love for Ed Kranepool? The man still holds or is in the top 10 in all of the Mets lifetime offensive records, he’s an original Met not only did he play at Shea but the Polo Grounds as well why isn’t he involved in this piece of history? I know this will piss off all you PIAZZA 31 Groupies out there but Ed Kranepool is much more a Met than Mike ever was. It should Steady Eddie on the mound with Seaver and for that matter Keith Hernandez and Jerry Koosman should be there as well before Piazza, oh and no way does number 31 get retired before 7 17 or 36.   

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Back in the mid 1970’s the NYC Board of Education said that I had to take algebra in High School but really who gives a shit how much a + b equals and (ab) x( cd)? After a couple of weeks of this nonsense I decided my time would be better spent at the OTB on 18 Ave and in a back booth at the J & V Pizzeria. It looks like the management at 105.7 THE FAN in Baltimore feels the same way about exhibition baseball like I did about algebra.

The Mets and Orioles game yesterday was delayed by rain (to the point that Big Pelf tossed but a mere 13 pitches as the rain came and cut his afternoon short) and O’s radio yackers Joe Angel and Fred Manfra did their best to fill about 40 minutes of improvisation when they were told by the head muck Dee-muck at the station to shut it down and go grab and Early Bird dinner. Just as Angel and Manfra were sipping their soup the game resumed without any radio transmission back to Bawlermore.

It was an exhibition game at the end of endless spring training so no one really cares that the game wasn’t broadcast right? Right?

I just called 105.7 and asked why they are not broadcasting the game as scheduled. I was told by the producer that they have not resumed the broadcast after the rain delay because Fred Manfra and Joe Angle left and there is no one there to broadcast the game.

I think this stinks. Now I know it’s a “spring training” game and all that but come on. How bush league can you get? Your broadcasters walk off the set during a rain delay and decide to go home? What do you think?

What do I think? Are you fucking serious? Go take a walk around the Inner Harbor, or Babe’s Museum or score an 8-Ball, you’re in Bawlermore damn it!

Angel was so distraught over missing the remaining innings he posted this on a Baltimore Sun blog:

The decision to end the broadcast was made by the decision making level

at our flagship station. It didn’t come from us…..and certainly not from

the Orioles. Thanks for listening……..There’s a lot to look forward to

with Orioles baseball. Fred and I are grateful and privileged to be your

Orioles baseball companions. See you on the radio!

In other words the boss said pull the plug and they did but Angel wants it to be crystal clear that he and Manfra didn’t walk off the job. Watch out for that bus fellas!

 oh yeah, enjoy this clip  

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From today’s NEWSDAY:

It didn’t take long for the tears to start forming in Duracell Gregory’s eyes yesterday as he walked around the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field.

A hardcore Mets fan and a lifelong admirer of Robinson, Gregory walked around the rotunda with his cell phone, meticulously videotaping all the different tributes to the man who broke major-league baseball’s color barrier in 1947 and played for 10 seasons.

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It looks like yesterday’s “soft opening” at $iti Field was a success. I haven’t heard any negative comments about our new home in fact the word most used in their description of $iti is it has that “ball park feel” which is a huge compliment. I think most of us of the Mets persuasion are “ball park” kind of folks, unlike those uppity Highlander fans who need a cathedral to watch their team play. The only missing element from $iti yesterday was sunshine and 80 degrees.

 

There are a ton of stories and pictures from yesterday but the most informative that I have seen were from Joe McDonald and Metsgrrl.

 

Joe not only gives us a great feel of the place he reinforces the notion that $tit (I HATE THIS NAME) will be more of a Family Room than a formal living room (I’m sure the place in the Bronx will have plastic slip covers):

 

      All of this gives Citi Field a family atmosphere. Unlike the Bronx where children are supposed to be seen and not heard, kids are a welcome sight in Queens. The fan fest, all the way out past center scoreboard, features a waffle ball field and other kid friendly activities. It’s a smart move by the club, since young kids seeing the Mets eventually become adult Met fans.

 

Very smart move by the Mets. Before the construction of $iti (I have to find a better name for the park) my kids loved that makeshift Fan Zone at Shea and they missed that when it went bye-bye during construction.

 

Metsgrrl in addition to her great in-depth post has some terrific pictures as well (as does Joe on the NY Sportday site). Metsgrrl does bust my bubble a little by saying the Pepsi Pavilion is a bit overrated. From looking at the pictures it looks like a must go to point in the ball park. From reading the comments section I’m glad to see that there are MURPHY 28 t-shirts at the Team Store but why no PELFREY 34?

 

 

 

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The Klapper has a nice profile on Bobby O and a look at his new job as pre and post game analyst on SNY. Like I said the other day Ojeda is going got be a star and the post game banter between him and Mex will be must see TV

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I have finally signed up for a Twitter account (I have no idea how to use or even link it but I guess if your on Twitter you can find me) and from reading the accounts of folks who are at $iti Field today, this is going to be one magnificent place for us to watch our Amazin’s. I have yet to hear a discouraging word about the new house and now that I have my tickets for the April18th game against the Nats, I am in high anticipation mode. I really really can’t wait to go!!!!!

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When it comes to umpires, I link them with MTA Board Members, people who listen to iPods with cheap ass headphones, and morons who talk on their cell phone while on line at the deli, as the people in this world I can’t stand but after reading Bruce Weber’s new book “As They See ‘Em, A Fan’s Travel in the Land of Umpires” (published by Scribner) I may knock them down to my “people who annoy me list”.

Weber a long time reporter for the New York Times, went to the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in Kissimmee FL back in 2005 to do a story for the Times and ended up enrolling in the Academy and has written this book to give fans an insight on the men who arbitrate the game of baseball.

Weber joins an umpiring crew in Double A and gives a first hand account on the travel, low pay, abuse and long days of umpiring in the bushes while dreaming of a Major League promotion just like the players in the lowly minors.

Weber also covers QuesTech and how it has effected the game, the way Richie Phillips screwed over the umpires on 1999, thoughts on instant replay and anecdotes from some of the more veteran umpires in baseball.

Weber writes a very entertaining book and it’s a subject not usually written about. It won’t make you join the Angel Hernandez Fan Club but it’s well worth your time to read.

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I guess you can say I’m suffering from spring training burn out as I can not wait for the season to start in 9 days.

 

A must read is Matt Cerrone’s piece on his tour of $iti Field and it looks as if after all the bitching and moaning over the name and price of tickets and all the other minutia that myself and others have spewed all winter we can enjoy the fact that we have a first class ballpark to call our own that will be very different for our Shea experience.

 

I’m curious to know where you guys stand on the new studio team of Chris Carlin and Bobby Ojeda?. For me I’d say it’s a huge upgrade over Snoozeoff and Boardwalk Lee. I like Carlin. I always thought he was a good listen on WFAN and he did a good job covering the New York Football Giants as he has a jolly good personality. As for Bobby-O , he has star potential. I met Ojeda a few years ago when he was the pitching coach in Brooklyn and he knows baseball, is very opinionated and is funny as hell. The post game banter between Ojeda and Mex will be Must See TV mark my words.

 

Speaking of Keith Hernandez, he and Ron Darling will be handling the play by play for tonight’s Mets-Nats game on SNY. No Gary and no Burkhardt. I hope someone has their finger on the dump button.

 

And speaking of Gary Cohen, he has advanced to the Mets Greatest Announcers Championship Round at Amazin’ Avenue’ against Bob Murphy. Talk about your tough decisions. I had to put a lot of thought into whom I was voting for. So I went and did what I always do when I have a big decision to make, I went for a slice of pizza and a Manhattan Special. When I got back to my office, I went to my keyboard and made my choice. I am proud to announce that The Eddie Kranepool Society has backed Gary Cohen and will vote for him as the greatest announcer in Mets history. I think what swayed me was the fact I’m wearing my “It’s Outta Here” t-shirt today.

 

 

 

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The Mets Police (they are inside of my head) has come up with a campaign that we should all get behind whether we are fortunate enough to have ticket or will watch on TV ,The Mets, MLB, ESPN and the San Diego Padres need to agree to switch the opening of game at $iti Field to a 1:05 start instead of the 7:05 PM  it is scheduled for right now. Mets Police has links to all the people you need to contact to voice your outrage and he makes a great point that MLB and ESPN (which is getting it’s ass kicked by the MLB Network as the place to go for your baseball news) have no problem disrupting your life to move games from day to night so they can’t use the excuse that they can’t make the switch. As for the Padres not being able to play after playing a day game Sunday then flying cross country and playing a day game Monday, why play Monday? Play it Tuesday when there is an off day.

 

There is no reason for this game to be a night game and as much as I can’t wait to get to $iti Field, my first time at $iti Field I want romance I want to take my time and stroll all around the park and caress every corner and be dazzled. I can’t do that if my McNuggets are freezing, no I need to do so it in the sunshine.

 

Even if the game was a Shea,  it’s Opening DAY!!!! It’s a holiday (I’ve tried to get excused absence from work due to religious beliefs but that hasn’t worked. I have to give Norman Siegel at the ACLU a call to see if my civil rights have been violatoted ) KEEP THIS DAY HOLY!!!!!!!!!!  

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The easiest thing to do this morning is to beat the shit out of Ollie Perez which is just what Old School Dan Werthen did. To me the blame for OP’s inability to focus and fall out of shape falls solely on the shoulders of the Mets, specifically Omar Minaya, Tony B and Jeffey Skill Sets, as they allowed OP to go to the WBC. First we all know that OP is a Special Ed, short bus kinda guy and it doesn’t take much to knock him off course. The Mets were in no hurry to re-sign this walking talking left handed enigma because they know just how high maintenance he is and Bernie Madoff drained the Skill Sets fortune making Derek Lowe to expensive, they settled on signing OP hoping that with Old School giving tough love and Johan Santana a shoulder to cry on they might get more good Ollie than bad. That’s why it is mind boggling (as are most things when it come to Mets management) that when discussing contract with Perez and Scott Boras, that the Mets weren’t adamant about not allowing OP to go play for Vinny Castilla and Team Mexico.

 

The Mets handed over a fit and somewhat ready OP to Vinny Castilla and Team Mexico with instruction to send him back the way you found him. Castillia in turn pitched OP into the ground trying to save Team Mexico and the Mets are shocked, SHOCKED by this. PLEASE!

 

So while we all pound our chests and scream “see I told you I wanted Derek Lowe” don’t blame the Ritalin Kid for this huge setback because in your heart you know it’s OP being OP, you want to put a foot in someone’s ass you better start in the front office as that’s where the blame starts.    

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