What I'm Most Thankful For In 2010

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Update: 10:43am - January 4th:

Gosh, dang it!


Now I have nothing! (Thanks, Michael)

Original Post:

Goodbye, Decade of the '00s.

This just means we don't gotta look at these silly pieces every New Year's for the next 90 years...



...yes, that's just a random picture from the internet...

Y2Shea To Today...


I must say, I started this blog in the beginning of February and I never thought I'd actually go this far with it. Or should I say that it would get this far (and this quickly). For me, I'm still in my mother's basement.

I never thought Mets Underground would get 7,000,000 hits a year, and frankly, it's going to come about 6,986,000 short. You can say my prediction is still going strong.

But for the few of you who, have returned through-out the weeks, are patient when I go on hiatus for days at a time, post a comment once-in-a-blue-moon, and have befriended me on Twitter and in the blogosphere, I want to thank you and let you know that I truly appreciate it.

Here is a list of the blog posts through out the year that I believe (mind my humility) were my best ones:

- I put out 3 posts revolving around Steve Somers.

One is about my overall analysis (and admitted man-crush) on the man.

A second includes a phone call between me and Steve shortly after my marriage in September. This convo was one of my greatest with the Radio Zaidy.

And a third, from way back when, another phone call, when Steve pressures me into a little bet, which I must say, had me come out on top when all was said and done.

For some dessert and from left field, I love the opening of this monologue belonging to Mr. Somers and presented the day after Christmas.

- I live-blogged an entire day of my life, which so happen to have been the first day I ever stepped foot into Citi Field (and watched the first ever Mets-Phillies game in Citi Field). I label it under: Humor. I titled it: Eli from Brooklyn in Flushing!

- A brilliant take on the YES Network Cast vs. SNY's Gary, Keith and Ron (and WFAN's crew).

- My first post ever (Re: Madoff).

- The NL East was caught acquiring weapons of Mets Destruction.

- A post I like to call, "The Yankee Tears".

- Thinking about changing the name of the New York Mets to ...

- My professed love for the off-season and my (awful, lol) 2009 Mets predictions for each player.

- A biblical-like post on Rookie Daniel Murphy.

- Comical analysis of Duaner Sanchez's career.

- Remember that guy who was abducted by Pirates? Well, I got comical yet again.

At this point, I got bored looking through my old posts. I was only in the middle of April, so feel free to prod around the section on the right for other admirable posts.

Until then, wishing all a happy and merry New Year's and the best to each and every one of you.

Calendar Needs To Sync With The Times

I recently received a gift of a 2010 Mets Calendar, which was released by MLB, along with the New York Mets.


Either they're printing this thing 8 months before the first month of 2010 or they're not up to date as to who is on the team, but some of the featured players (one per month) is laughable.

I don't want to give any away, but it was quite a Putz-like move from them.



Update 4:01 PM:



...You can click on the picture to see a larger shot...

Can you find Brian Schneider? JJ Putz? Ryan Church? (What the...)

Classic.

Ochocinco Says He’ll Go Wild on ‘Revis Island’

Wednesday, December 30, 2009


A tweet war!

The Jets do not play the Cincinnati Bengals until Sunday night, in the league’s final regular-season game, but the war of words has already begun. Only the platform has changed.

Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals receiver who will face Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis in a game with playoff implications for both teams, has been tweeting trash since about noon Monday, when he wrote on his Twitter account: “I’m coming to the big apple to give NY what they’ve never seen, an escape inmate gone wild on Revis Island” … “try and cover me!”

Ochocinco praised Revis, apparently after watching Jets game film, but then wrote: “Where you at son, when I finish with you you’ll be wearing 42.”

Revis’s uniform number is 24.

Revis picked up the thread Tuesday morning, when he responded on Twitter by saying: “Good morning world. I just woke up from this crazy dream. @OGOchoCinco came to Revis Island and disappeared.”

The Jets are guaranteed a playoff spot if they beat Cincinnati on Sunday. If they lose, their season is over. The Bengals, meanwhile, may be playing for the No. 3 seed in the American Football Conference, depending on the result of the New England-Houston game.

Trash-talking aside, Ochocinco predicted a good game: “There’s a reason they changed the game to 8 o’clock at night — they should put our match up on pay-per-view.”

Revis agreed: “Everyone tune in this week to the 24-85 show!”

(Hat Tip to Ken Plutnicki for writing this piece)

Face-Off

Why is (David) Wright the face of the franchise and not (Jose) Reyes and (Johan) Santana?

And who says you need a face of the franchise?

Who is the Phillies' 'face of the franchise?'


A tweety-friend, Sean Murphy, brings up these points to @MichaelGBaron on Twitter, and I can't say I disagree.

Why do you need that player, that face? For the brochure? To lure people in to buy tickets? To establish your team as one that has a player to build around? I don't fully get it.

A commenter on SlamOnline.com once said, "(I) never liked the concept of 'face of the franchise’ because there are so many negative unintended consequences: Team v. individual, what happens when “face” leaves,..."

Now, I can't say I agree so much with the "team v. individual" aspect since I don't think that is a consequence unless a player (such as Jose Reyes in this case) feels resentment about it and it leads to an unstable relationship between the two players, thereby affecting the production of the team, BUT I would say that if the Mets are reluctant to trade David Wright because they established him as 'the face of the franchise,' then that just seems wrong and ill-advised.

About Sean's point on 'Who is the Phillies face...?' - I'd have to say there isn't just one; pluralize the word 'face.' There's Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard to slap onto the front of your brochure and either one would work.

Santana, perhaps, is not THE face, because either A) a player coming out once every 5 days is tough to make a case to be the face of the franchise, B) he was acquired in a trade, as opposed to being home-grown, or C) Wright has been here longer so he was chosen or in-line to be the face, before Johan even got here.

Reyes is not a leader, as he even admitted to WFAN, nor is he mature enough to qualify, in order to be that guy.

Whatever the case, the face of the franchise might be a nice thing to have, but it shouldn't stop us, in any which way, from achieving the face we all know we want - our face smiling with the glare of a chamionship ring in our eyes.

...to follow Eli on Twitter, click here...

ComMents (Mix of Comments and Mets; So Sue Me!)

Monday, December 28, 2009


So with everyone running around without their heads trying to guess what Mike Francesa will reveal to the public tomorrow regarding the Metropolitans, I figured it would be a good time to post here what some of the elite commenters on MetsBlog are saying...

...then again, don't you have to be elite to comment on there in the first place... ah, forget that then...

...i will post what people are saying (in blue) and exclude their names, but I will comment in italics to their MetsBlog comment underneath...

...here we go...

I don’t know how to take this. The guy (Francesa) is 99.99% of the time full of crap. Oh well, we’ll see.

...I would think you need to know sabermetrics to determine when someone is not full of crap 00.01 percent of the time...

He’s going to announce that he ate Alay Soler in May 2007.

...this one was actually funny...sort of...

Maybe he is going to break news of the new ARAMARK menu in the Acela Club.

...ha-ha-ha...make fun of a guy's weight...like that is a hard feat...grow up...and besides, I did that already...maybe read a new blog, unfunny MetsBlog commenter...

What – are they changing Mr. Mets’ meds?

...seriously, you guys are comedians... #Sarcasm...

maybe they are changing the dimensions of citifield?

...this one's a possibility...but then why only give the info to Francesa?...

I’m new to the Francessa show. I never watched it before.

...earth to you... what planet do you even live on?... seriously...

omar coming in studio to drive around his train for the afternoon

...lol...this one's funny...

Maybe they are bringing Piazza out of retirement to play C

...stupid...

The funny thing is how many reporters are now as we speak scrambling to find out what the heck is going on!

...i'd say not too many... but, buddy, you calm down...

hmm…Fernando Tatis is Jerry’s secret love child?

...not as far-fetched as some others...

Maybe Management change or maybe the Wilpons finally decided to sell the team.

...seriously, are some of you commenters brain dead...

I hope they’re lowering the left field and center field walls.

...could be, but then why is that "big news"....

Free admission to anyone who was actually alive the last time the Mets actually won a World Series.

...some people weren't blessed with the gift of humor...it's too bad...

Right now Mike Francessa is reading this blog and pointing and laughing! lol

...he's not, but I am, moron...

To read all the genius blurbs, click here. To watch a video of paint drying, click here. I recommend the latter.

(And some of the comments on the paint drying video are hysterical. The description to the YouTube video is: "After watching lots of videos on Youtube I came to the conclusion that 99.9% of them are as interesting as watching paint dry. So here is a video I made of some paint drying for you to enjoy. I call it 'Watching Paint Dry.'")

P.S: Oh and yeah, I was not one of the lucky (or unlucky) few to be chosen to comment on MetsBlog. Although, now I'm thankful for it. It didn't stop Cerrone from making a blog post of my material earlier this month, which in fact, I will be suing him for later this month.

"Big News" Coming

According to @EliFromBrooklyn's Twitter Feed, (Hey, that's me!), "Mike Francesa promises to have a 'major #Mets update in tomorrow's show.' "

Eli jokes, "If it's as big as the big cheese himself, it will be big."

Semi-funny, Mr. FromBrooklyn.

So, Andrew Vazzano of the TheRetropolitans.com (or something like that), says, "
If the Mets are feeding info to Francesa, and not anyone else, something is very, very wrong."

I don't think, based on hearing Francesa saying it live, that it is as "big" as one would hope (or fear), but rather it's something that the common fan can deduce and Francesa can and will confirm.

My sources tell me (my brain, that is) that it's got something to do with the Mets not being the team of yesteryears in regards to money, and that they will be acting like a smaller market team.

No longer will they claim to be the little brother of the New York Yankees when it comes to the financial arena, but more like a distant second cousin.

Whatever the case, during these boring and post-season 2009 months, any news is good news.

Update, 9:38 pm:

Francesa might also add, "The team will not be as competitive as years past in the upcoming years."

However "competitive" you want to call the past few years.

If you think about it, how "big" can "big news" be if he's waiting until tomorrow to say it? It must either be something only he knows, something he is assuming, or something that is nothing really at all?

Either way, a few hundred extra Mets fans will be listening at 1:05 pm on Tuesday (for Mike to let them know that he'll be releasing this "big news" in the 3 o'clock hour).

Omar Gunaya


Last weekend, Mets GM Omar Minaya spoke at the 21 Days of Clemente benefit in New York, according to a report for NY SportsDay from Howard Goldin.

According to Goldin, Minaya said his starting rotation would likely be Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Jon Niese, and possibly a free agent.

I think I might shoot someone.

Did This Guy Host a Show This Morning on WFAN?

Friday, December 25, 2009

My sources tell me that a new figure hosted a show from 3:00 - 6:00 am today on WFAN. I checked WFAN's programming schedule and it says there was a fellow by the name of "Steve Hostetter" who was on the airwaves.

Now, I am familiar with a Comedian Steve Hofstetter - whom spells his name a tad differently than the aforementioned WFAN host, but I am unsure if this was a spelling mistake and whether or not it is in fact, the same person.

Well, Sports Comedian Steve Hofstetter runs a website called SportsMinuteOrSo.com and his jokes are featured on radio stations across the U.S. He can be found on Twitter, here, and I recommend the follow.

Here's a clip of the comedian with the male Wanda Sykes:

Shea Goodbye [Photo Montage]

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Bobster855, on Flickr, writes,

A ballpark is made of steel, bricks and concrete. But it's also made of the memories of millions of people. That's why the demolition of a ballpark always seems especially poignant.

Shea Stadium stood in Flushing, New York for over 44 years. It hosted four World Series, a Papal Mass and a boy band from Liverpool. More than 50 million people passed through its doors to see the New York Mets, New York Jets, and New York Yankees play their home games.

Shea saw its last ballgame in October, 2008. It took about four months to tear it down, piece by piece. I made this video from images made by many photographers, some of them posted here on Flickr. A lot of them had a stark beauty, I felt.

Eli: Here is the Photo Montage, with a hat tip to Mets Police for the find.

Meet The Newest Met, Ryota Igarashi! (Referral Link)


The honorable OhMurph.com is back, and believe it or not, threw me a shout out in a blog post.

I'm thankful for it, up until I sue his Murph off for not paying me to insert my name in a post of his.

-Eli

P.S: After reading Murph's post, you'll know why it's funny to see a guy named Ryota actually working for Toyota. Here's Ryota's LinkedIn page.

New Mets Uniform Idea

Thursday, December 17, 2009


...in a move to save money, the Mets announced this new uniform idea...I like it because it doesn't have their last name on the back...

...it would sure help disqualify Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy from playing on the team... unless there is some hair on their 17 year old-like bodies...

...actually, this picture was found in Mike Francesa's old college dorm room... he always wanted to have 3 number one shows... similarly to Joe Girardi with the jersey numbers and all...

A Lift-Me-Up Video

Wednesday, December 16, 2009




...Not sure why the umpire uses a strike-out motion on his strike two call... also, he holds up 1-0 when it's 0-1... the pitcher is a poor actress... oh, and it's a really inspiring movie...

...no, I didn't almost tear... that's preposterous...

(H/T to this blog for the find)

O' No Canada

According to SNY, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters yesterday, though he did talk to them about Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays never asked the Mets for SS Jose Reyes.

Question: Why did Mike Francesa insist the Blue Jays asked for Jose Reyes to be a part of a potential trade? Is Francesa lying or is Omar lying?

...hmmm...

Which One's Omar?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009


YOU DECIDE!


...be sure to leave a comment on why YOU think one of these two people (or an item) in this picture is Omar... the funniest commenter (must retweet this post, as well) will received a free-of-charge Follow Friday (only YOUR twitter name in the tweet)... hey, we're in a friggin' recession... sue me for my gift option...

Scream Loud Enough The Wilpons Will Listen

Monday, December 14, 2009



In 2008, Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason of WFAN held a rally in front of Citi Field asking Jeff Wilpon (seen in the video) to bring Francisco 'K-Rod' Rodriguez aboard.

Later that year, within the same confines that the rally was held outside of, Jeff showed a new Met, K-Rod, around.




I'm still looking for the video of Craig and Boomer rallying outside of Citi Field for Elmer Dessens and Kelvim Escobar, but my search has been fruitless thus far.

Anyone with such footage is asked to contact: TheWilponsWouldSignBigPlayersIfTheyHadTheMoneyToDoSo@Mets.com

Thanks!

A Radio Hair-o



Ahh, nothing like licking your hand and combing the hair down with it.

4 Years Left(ie)

Johan Santana does great work, as reported by the NY Times today.

Here's a photo improperly labeled with, "Johan Santana with his wife, Yasmile, during their trip to Tovar, Venezuela."


Real Title: "Johan, with his wife, Yasmile, seen crying when told 'Johan still have 4 years left on his contract.'"

Tiger's New Motto

Friday, December 11, 2009




Just Don't Do It!

Speak About Grit...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

...click on the picture to magnify...and laugh...


No word on whether Fred's mother and Jeff's grandmother will make a Citi Field appearance in the near future.

Things Omar Minaya Left Indy With

Steve Somers had a great line last night. He said the only thing Omar Minaya was leaving Indy with was Peyton Mannings' autograph.


More contents of Omar's pocket will be posted as details come in from Queens.

(H/T to Sean)

Rocky Owners

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Something tells me that the Wilpons and Dolans would fare quite well on my new reality show 'So You Think You're Incompetent?'.

Needless to say, Mets fans would breathe a sigh of relief if Fred and Jeff were to ever sell their Brooklyn, er, Queens baby. But that's not why I'm here today.

Imagine Jeff and Fred changed. No, I'm not speaking about the impossible. Think about how different it would be if they acted like Charlie Monfort, Colorado Rockies' Owner.

Charlie bought into the Colorado franchise as a limited partner and in 1992 the Rockies became baseball’s newest team.

Fastforward 17 years...

Monfort has been criticized for the low payroll and unwillingness to get quality players compared with other MLB teams (sound familiar, Mets fans?) but he seems to have a non-corporate-like attitude which streams down from him and into the Rockies' front office.

For starters, Monfort was hoarse from screaming during a 2007 World Series game featuring the Rockies and Red Sox. I can't tell you for sure, but I don't believe Jeff Wilpon's arm was aching after Endy's catch in 2006.

Now, this is not to say that a "good" owner screams and is passionate for his team on a physical front (as this same idea runs true with the vibrant Tom Coughlin versus the mostly-calm Bill Belichick) but there is something to be said of an owner who seems to be having as much fun watching a game as the casual every-day fan.

The Wilpons thoughts on leadership is also something that must be put on the table.

Monfort told the Sporting News last week, "The hardest thing about being a leader is surrounding yourself with other leaders that believe in the same goals, values, methods, and beliefs that you believe in. Then being a leader is the easiest thing to be."

Have the Wilpons done so? Have they surrounded themselves with "leaders?"

For one, Omar Minaya acted very unleader-like, when, after firing Tony Bernazard in middle of the summer, he pointed a finger at Daily News Reporter Adam Rubin. Instead of focusing on the horrors Bernazard inflicted upon Mets farmhands and team employees, Minaya tried to redirect the story from Bernazard's reprehensible actions - which were validated or the Mets wouldn't have fired Bernazard - to Rubin.

David Howard, Mets EVP of Business Operations, was on WFAN with Mike Francesa and started saying, "How the Mets fan does better in life," before Francesa shut him down leaving Howard with only a 1/2 shoe in his mouth. As chronicled here, Howard seems to be the sly, cunning and corpy guy your mother always told you to stay away from. As a certain Mets fan titled a blog post on Howard, "Pissing In Our Mouths And Telling Us It's Rheingold." Well said. No real leader there.

Monfort told the magazine, "My one unbreakable rule is honesty. There is no compromise in this rule. The people who you work with, yourself and the people you deal with must have honesty."

I might not be a Rockies' fan but I sure as heck will be rooting for their owner.

I wish you well, Wilpons.

DL is for Dis-Like

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

UPDATE: Wednesday - 10:40 am - More responses have been added on the bottom.

I asked the Twitterazi tonight who the Mets fan dislikes more: The Wilpons, Omar Minaya or Jerry Manuel. They were told told to rank them.

Here are a few of the responses (out of the 6,493,871 that were sent):

SmackWat3r: Wilpons. Minaya. Manuel.

rbfdds: Dislike Wilpons, Omar , Manuel, respectfully. (most to least) #mets #sellmetstotrump #coupons

nickbegley: Can I vote for self hate for being a Mets fan with those characters captaining the ship?

harrycalat: madoff's vics, omar, gangsta.

GhostofAnsted: My vote goes to the Wilpons.

DaneLopes: All of the above.

JoePontillo: exactly the order u listed them Wilpons, Minaya, Manuel. #Mets #Hate

NYSportzNut: 1. Wilpons 2. Omar/Manuel (they go hand and hand in my eyes and should have both been fired)

Danny_Lanigan: let's just say I hope Omar and Jeff Wilpon crash into each other in Citi parking lot and die.

RyanStern33NYR: Order of dislike: 1. Omar 2. Jerry 3. Wilpons

TheRopolitans: Exactly that order.

DM_NYM_NYG: Wilpons (deep-seeded hatred & resentment),Omar, Jerry... Omar was liked once, Wilpons never, & it's hard not 2 have endearing love 4 Special Jerry.

michaelgbaron: I don't dislike any of them really - they just need to get back to what made them good in 05 06 & 1/2 of 07 - get refocused

metsfanmurph: I hate the Wilpons because they are liars, Omar because he is incompetent, and Manuel because he bunts to much. That order

kdoster: Wilpons, Minaya, Manuel but like @michaelgbaron said, I don't dislike them.. Well not all of them. Just have some stuff to improve


...over 75 percent of the folks ranked it with Wilpon, Minaya, and Manuel... can't say I disagree... although it would be interesting to know the extent at which the Wilpons handcuff Omar... would play a role in my decision...

Robin Williams Got Old


I guess time does that to people.

So, you thought this would be a Mets related post? Well, in that case, Robin is not related to Gerald Floyd Williams, who played for the Mets in 2004-2005.

You happy now?

For Those Who Use Twitter... Alot


Here are must-see clips mocking Twitter:



This next video is the funniest out of all of them.

For those even know what Twitter spam is, click here for a semi-funny-but-true (L-NSFW) video.

No Church For The Braves

David O'brien of AJC.com, writes:

To open a spot on the Braves' 40-man roster for the unexpected return of reliever Rafael Soriano, outfielder Ryan Church was designated for assignment Tuesday.


Outfielder Ryan Church hit .260 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 44 games with the Braves last season.

That effectively ended the Braves career of Church, who came from the New York Mets in a July 10 trade for Jeff Francoeur, the erstwhile Atlanta golden boy who had struggled for two seasons before the move.

While Francoeur enjoyed a resurgence after the trade, Church hit .260 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 44 games during his injury-plagued stint with the Braves. Designating him for assignment gives the Braves 10 days to trade or release him.

The Braves had received some minor trade interest in Church during the past week. If Church was not traded, he likely would have gone non-tendered by the Braves at Saturday's deadline for teams to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players.

He probably would have been awarded a salary of more than $3 million if he went through arbitration with the Braves.

The Braves' decision to "DFA" Church earlier than Saturday was prompted by Soriano's decision late Monday to accept the Braves' arbitration offer to the free-agent reliever. Since they already signed free-agent closer Billy Wagner and setup man Takashi Saito, the Braves are expected to trade Soriano.

Alexander The Great (Manager)


Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox Manager, was recently asked by Sporting News, "Which current player will one day make a great manager?"

The career .274 hitter, Francona, responded, "Alex Cora has a chance to make a very good manager. When he was with the Red Sox, he always kept his ears and eyes open, and he really sees the game well. We need guys like Alex to stay in the game."

...well, with the Mets, he's also kept the ligaments near his thumbs open...

You Know Jack?

A reader, MattClausen, suggest the Mets take a look at DH-OF Jack Cust.

According to the Oakland Tribune:

Oakland's deal for jack-of-all-trades hitter Jake Fox in advance of the winter meetings probably wasn't good news for another Jack — slugging designated hitter Jack Cust.

If the A's do nothing else in Indianapolis this week, they will be making a decision on Cust, their leading home run hitter the past three seasons. Most signs point to their not tendering an arbitration offer to Cust before Saturday's deadline, meaning the A's wouldn't get draft compensation if he signed elsewhere.

Cust, who'll turn 31 on Jan. 16, made $2.8 million in his first arbitration year last season and figures to command between $4-5 million in 2010, even though his production numbers slipped slightly in 2009 (27 homers, 70 RBI, 185 strikeouts). While it might seem strange the power-starved A's would part with Cust, they have myriad options that might not require such a sizable investment.

What's more, the A's still have a shot at trading Cust this week instead of nontendering him. The New York Mets and Seattle Mariners reportedly might be interested.

A's general manager Billy Beane wouldn't tip his hand on Cust last week.

"We've still got some time to decide, and that's certainly a matter of in-house conversation right now," Beane said. "The decision has yet to be made on Jack, and no doubt, it's 1 of the bigger ones we have to make in the next week or so."

...if the Mets are able to get this fellow without giving up draft picks, then hallellujah...

Family Guy: Movie Trailer



...Hysterical...

Hot Stove: Big Deal in the Works

Monday, December 7, 2009


Ted Berg of SNY, reports, "The deal I reported earlier involving two MLB clubs swapping unspecified players is on hold for now, but my source says it's still on table."

....we'll keep you posted if anything changes... crazy good stuff... i know...

Catch Me If You Can

Seriously, what's the deal with the Mets signing EVERY backup catcher they can get their hands on?

...that's my one simple question... it's hysterical... most of what you hear sounds something like: "the Mets are somewhat interested in Rod Barajas and have strong interest in Bengie Molina"... now I'm not a hater, but rather a big proponent of the catching position... think about all the passed balls without one (entirely)...but is 6 backup catchers the answer to anything?...

...excuse me while I go get another coffee...

NJ man skips hearing in Phillies ring theft

As we wait to see whether (or NOT) Pat Burrell is a Met, as reported by PhillyBlurbs.com, how's this for another story from the shady website?

A bench warrant has been issued for a New Jersey man who allegedly stole three World Series rings from the Phillies team offices.

Officials say 22-year-old Matthew Mervine of Berlin, N.J. skipped a preliminary hearing Thursday. Mervine is accused of swiping three 2008 World Series rings from Citizens Bank Park in October.

Team officials say Mervine was kicked out of a playoff game and was videotaped taking the rings after writing down his personal information on a job application.

Advertisement Authorities quickly arrested Mervine and recovered the rings, which are worth $1,100 and intended for scouts.

Court records do not list an attorney for Mervine.

A former ballpark janitor is also charged with stealing a team executive's World Series ring in a separate incident.

I'm Talking To The Wall!

Matt Cerrone points out:
According to Adam Rubin in the Daily News, “Mets officials are considering removing the second level of padding in center field to make the wall eight feet."


Cerrone continues, "…if you look at the image in this post, you can see if they just come down to the normal level, instead of having that big barrier in the front of the Apple, it will be normal height… frankly, it’s the height of the walls in the gap they should be concerned about, even though i have heard people in power say things like, ‘There is no evidence that Citi Field was more difficult to hit in than Shea Stadium,’ and they’re right… "

So why bring this up if you can read it on Cerrone's site? Well, I remembered attending a game at Citi Field on May 13th of 2009, (as if there was any other year to attend a game there), and I recall seeing a homerun (a grand slam, nonetheless) from Fernando Tatis which, I would say, just cleared the wall.

If the team does, in fact, lower the wall - this sort of bomb would clear it by a don't-have-to-hold-your-breath margin.

To view Tatis' shot, click here.

Omar (Part 3)

Indianapolis, the home of the perfect Colts, meets imperfect New York GM.


Brian Costa, of The Star-Ledger, put out a semi-must-read for Mets fans last night:

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mets general manager Omar Minaya arrived here shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, wheeling an orange suitcase behind him (no, he said, it was not stuffed with cash for free agents). Minaya had no meetings with other teams or agents planned for Sunday night, but expect talks to pick up when the winter meetings begin Monday, at least on the trade front.

Here's what Minaya had to say in the lobby of the Indianapolis Marriott:

Q: What's your feeling coming into the meetings here? Do you anticipate getting a lot of things done?
A: A lot of times you come in here -- most of the time, when you get here, you've done some work to get to the meetings. Sometimes you get some things done like we did last year that were unexpected. With the free agent stuff, that seems to be going a little bit slower this year than in past years. But once you bring a lot of people together, things tend to happen. Like most years, a lot of the work has been done as far as talking to GMs. There has been some trade potential out there. I know I talked to a couple of GMs -- we're hopefully going to get together and get further along in the discussions. It's almost a domino effect. Once a free agent or two gets signed, then it becomes a domino effect whether it's for a trade or for signings.

Q: Do you have any sense of, if you do get something done while you're here, whether it'll be a trade or free-agent signing?
A: We have potential trades that, in conversations with other GMs, could happen here. But at the same time, we're also having conversations with the agents. I think teams are getting more and more offers out there now on some of the quote-unquote better free agents. Does it happen here? Does it happen a week from here? I don't know. But I will tell you that there is more conversation going on at both fronts, which leads me to believe either a trade or a free agent could be signed at some time.

Q: Have you prioritized the holes you have to fill?
A: You have an idea what you want to get done, as far as your priority. We do have a wish list of what we'd like to fill in the order we'd like to fill them. But a lot of times, it just doesn't happen that way.

Q: You've been on the phone with all these GMs since the GM meetings. What is it about being here and talking face to face that gets things going?
A: That's a good question. A lot of times, you ask yourself, 'Why is it that when we come together, in this day and age where we communicate so much with e-mails, we communicate so much by phone...' Something about the dynamics of coming together gets things done. That's a question I always ask myself.

Q: Do you have any meetings scheduled for tonight?
A: No.

Q: Do you feel like you are under more pressure to get something done this year?
A: I don't want to say you feel pressure to do something, but there's no doubt that we have to find a way to improve our club if possible. I remember coming here last year and we were trying to get Frankie Rodriguez. We knew that and we were focusing on that. Coming into the meetings, we had meetings with the agent, and we thought we would get it done and address that. This year, it's not as clear as it was last year. Last year we knew we needed a closer and we ended up getting two closers. This year we have more pieces, more parts that we have to kind of fill in. Are we going to be able to fill them all here? I don't know that. But as far as the pressure ... When you start putting pressure on yourself that you have to do something, it's not good. But it makes sense when you have a year like we had last year that we have to address those needs.

Q: Most people consider this free-agent market very lean. How would you assess it?
A: We've had better free-agent markets in past years.

Q: How does that impact you?
A: You have to identify what you want and do the best you can to go get it. The question in getting it is, the pieces that you want, are they ready to be done at what you feel the cost should be for that player?

Q: Does slow market work in your favor for trades? Are teams more willing to trade because of lack of movement on free-agent market?
A: I think this year, because of the market, teams will at least attempt to try to fill their needs via trade, more so than in past years. ... There's a market for a couple guys who are premium guys. But once you get beyond those guys, the other guys that are available are pretty much the same.

Q: Can you afford to save your dollars for next year's free-agent crop?
A: Well, look, I think, first of all, that if we get our guys healthy, we have a core group of guys ... It's not like we have to do a total revamping. ... I'm of the belief that it's 162 games, and whether you do things in the winter or you do things in season ... At the end of the day, we do have to improve our club. But if the players are not there on the free-agent market, you just can't force it.

Q: Do you read www.MetsUnderground.com?
A: Regularly.

...fine, so that last question I made up... sue me...

...if interested in further amusement, Omar (Part 1) is here... while, Omar (Part 2) is here...

Raid The Signs!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

So, the Raiders' fans have had enough, huh?

A group of Raiders fans have pooled their money and frustration to start the website MessageToAl.com. And on Tuesday the group unveiled a message to Raiders owner Al Davis on a billboard near the Oakland Coliseum on Interstate 880.


Though most Raiders fans would probably support the billboard's demand, I'm not so sure the eccentric owner would go along with it (provided, of course, he even sees it).

Until Davis somehow realizes he no longer has all (if any) of the answers, the Raiders will be waiting quite a while for that next great moment in franchise history.

Do they think hiring a GM is THE answer? Metstradamus explained it best in a picture:


To which fans will slightly alter their original billboard with:



Feeling a tad empathetic, I signed the Raiders petition and joined the 37,000+ fans who suffer (albeit not as hard) the way Mets fans do.


After all, isn't there space for rent on a billboard off the Van Wyck?

P-Mart

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Michael Baron writes,
In a report in today’s Daily News, Adam Rubin says Fernando Martinez has been sidelined for a week due to blisters, and is listed as day-to-day.

Rubin says Martinez has been taking advice from Moises Alou, the General Manager of his Winter League team, and has advised Martinez to urinate on his hands to increase toughness.


…i like alou a lot, but he isn’t exactly the poster boy for healthy ballplayers…

BBmetsfreak36 says:
I’ll pee on F-mart for him if it’ll get him healthy..


EliFromBrooklyn says:
Interesting.

Omar (Part 2)


Omar Minaya, pictured in front as a little boy, is treated similarly by winter meetings. He is said to be laughed at, ridiculed, and for what it's worth, snickered behind, when the GM's have their "MLB medical discussions."

AJ Santana?

Friday, December 4, 2009


According to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times, Johan Santana helped the Mets recruit C Henry Blanco, who the team signed yesterday to a one-year deal.

...Will Johan pull an "AJ Burnett" and have Blanco catch for him in every 5th game the Mets play? Will he request Blanco in big spots? Does "big spots" mean playoffs? Did I just imply the Mets make the playoffs? Did I just go off on a tangent?...

Twins (Freaky Video)

Thursday, December 3, 2009



So, why does this town have more twins than anywhere else in the world (at a percentage rate)? I don't know, but it didn't stop me from getting freaked out.

Oh, and in Mets news, bla bla bla, catcher, bla bla bla, catcher.

Ellen DeTigeres (Video)



Ellen DeGeneres more than holds her own against Tiger Woods from an October 2006 show. Fortunately for her, she's not a cocktail waitress.

New High Five: Stick to Helmet (Video)



As Harvey Bars said, "There are scores of ways to vent your frustration after giving up a goal but surely taking your stick and going Mr. Blonde on your own goalie’s ear has to be one of the least effective and efficient methods of doing so."

Twitter Song (Follow Me)

Twitter songs are a dime a dozen these days, and while some them are appealing because of their subject matter or the celebrity attached, most of them are rather drab.

Enter Sean Kingston. The Twittering pop star has released a new track: Twitter SONG (Follow Me). The hip hop tune, embedded below, is also a free download. In case you’re skeptical, it’s an absolutely must-listen-to track. Trust us.

While, we’ve yet to decipher all of the lyrics, the ones we can comprehend are absolutely hysterical, especially if you’re a Twitter() fan, as Kingston calls out everything from Twitterers who have just five followers to one of our favorite features: @replies. It also doesn’t hurt that the track is pure fun and entertainment, with a great beat and catchy hook.

So, as Kingston says, “hit me on my Twitter page,” and check it out for yourself:



(Source: Mashable)

Omar (Video)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009



Put a man in a General Manager's chair and he believes he's a GM.

Cheetah Woods

11:01 PM UPDATE: I guess someone saw the blog post title. You can buy the t-shirt here.

Tiger Woods, as you probably know, has his own website where he'll inform people what he deems informative. So, anyways, he put up an apology and some thoughts on the current events:

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.


But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

The real good stuff are the 4,000+ comments from people. Here are just a few samples...

johnnyBgood wrote:
If Tiger and his family stop listening to the radio, television, internet, and reading the papers, they'll have the space they need to solve this marital crisis. It's totally their choice and has nothing to do with how bad the media frenzy is.

Bensisco wrote:
I wish you and your family the best. The public should back off and allow you and your family the space to work things out in a way that’s best for all of you (not what’s best for nosey people who have never met you).

tigersdone wrote:
lol you think hes reading this idiots

BoomBoom wrote:
I feel a personal hearbreak about this mess. I have never, in 71 years, idolized a sports figure as I have Tiger Woods. If this lengthy affair is true, and I suspect that it is, my idolization is over. No more will I mentally encourage this young man to "go for It". I have watched my last golf tournament. Oh, Tiger, your father would have been outraged. My deepest, heartfelt sympathy to your lovely wife and children. You, sir, are a cad.


...pretty good, right?... i know... click here to read more from the unemployed commenters...

The Coste Of The Mets (Video)

I thought now would be a great time (if ever) to familiarize ourselves with who exactly this new Mets catcher is (Chris Coste) and why he's the perfect player to backup the backup's backup.



My favorite moments are:

30 second point: Charcoal Cap Wearing Kid with Mouth Open.

1:40 in: Coste, seemingly, ignores guy with hand up.

Gosh, I love our new catcher.

...what... I don't see you trying...

Mets Get CC!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Yesterday on Twitter, I wrote, "The Mets signed Catcher Chris Coste... I'm particularly excited about this move being that I've read his book, 'The 33 Year Old Rookie.'"

I continued by saying, "If you haven't read Coste's book, then it's a must-read this off-season. You will NOT be disappointed. Also, I will be buying his jersey."

Of course, this was before I read that Coste commented on the NY signing with, "It’s the last team I ever saw myself playing for. I knew I was going to accept it, but had to think about it for a few days… It wasn’t my choice to leave Philly… I never wanted to leave Philadelphia, I will always consider myself a Phillie.”

Now, Coste's book will warm anyone's heart, even Mr. December's (a fictitious baseball player who, if played playoff baseball in the cold month of December, would hit 4 home runs in one game and deny reporters a press conference due to his equally cold heart). I just feel a bit odd now buying his jersey after he spewed N.Y. sewer juice all over my optimism.

Either way, the semi-good news continued to pour in when the Phillies were said to have signed Mets Catching-Great Brian Schneider for 2 years.

Memo to GM Amaro: Might want to put Jamie Moyer up in a big spot (to bat, that is) over Mr. Schneider.

The real good news is, that with the old Number 23 leaving New York, we can now welcome our new 23 - LeBron Raymone James.

Rumor has it... James is coming to Queens.

Stuffs To Look At During Work

Disclaimer: If this post costs you your job, you never met me.

Bored? Don't worry, you're not alone. There are 95 million other Americans sitting in front of their desks with very little interest to complete anything and everything their boss hands them.

So, why not give these clicks a try?

This will keep you entertained for about 3 minutes and, if you haven't seen it, it's quite the treat: Super Cool Website Thingy Madgingy.

Just how much time do you waste on Twitter? This will tell you. Be prepared to be shocked.

Make your own Family Feud Game! Your questions... Your answers... Your game.

An amazing bike lane which travels along with you... everywhere.

50 Professionally Designed Twitter Backgrounds.

And... a WordPress FollowMe plug in (WP FollowMe is a wordpress plugin that allows you to add a twitter “Follow me” badge on your wordpress blog) and a T-Shirt with Keith Hernandez's number 17 retired.

That's it for now! Check back soon for more cool things to do during work!

Kids Loved It!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Apparently, the children were very excited when the Macy's Parade featured a new balloon:


It made the kids want to hide in the attic.

Chip Caray and TBS Part Ways

Richard Sandomir writes in the NY Times,

Chip Caray’s tenure as TBS’s lead major league baseball announcer ended Monday when he and the cable network agreed to part ways.

Caray’s high-volume style was mixed with a penchant for bad play calls, embellishments and factual errors. His best known incident occurred during the American League Central Division tie breaker between the Twins and the Tigers in October. He called an obvious lineout this way: “Line drive. Base hit. Caught out there. The runner tags. Throw to the plate. On target. And in time! A double play!”


In a memo sent to company employees, David Levy, the president of Turner Sports, wrote on Monday: “Since the end of this year’s M.L.B. playoffs, we’ve had several discussions with Chip Caray regarding 2010 and beyond. Both sides have agreed that now is the right time for Turner Sports and Chip to move ahead on different paths.”

Caray had some time left on his contract with Turner, where he also called Braves games on the Peachtree TV cable network. Levy said the company was looking at a “number of candidates” to replace Caray at both positions.

Through a TBS spokesman, Levy declined to comment.

Caray has called TBS’s Sunday game of the week for the past two seasons and was the network’s No. 1 playoff announcer since 2007.

Caray has also called Chicago Cubs games.

The Home-Town Critic

"According to FoxSports.com, the Mets are close to re-signing RHP Elmer Dessens."

-Some homeless guy's Christmas wish is coming true: Dessens back in Queens!

"According to the New York Post, Ike Davis’s dad, former Major League 1B Ron Davis, believes his son will play 10 to 15 years in the big leagues, and, “he’ll do things to sacrifice for the team."

-Oh really? My dad said I'll be a NBA player one day. Now, I live in his basement.

"Alex Cora has agreed to 1-year, $2 million deal to return to the Mets if he passes a physical," says Mr. Bart.

-Alex RODRIGUEZ, Omar. Argh! You got the wrong one, Minaya!

"According to the Daily News, a bidding war may be on tap between the Yankees and Red Sox for Blue Jays RHP Roy Halladay."

-Wilpons found under office table in Citi Field. "Wa-ar?," Fred cried.

Jerry Jeterfeld

Sunday, November 29, 2009

There is a new #2 in New York...


Hellloooo, Jerry!

Elf'ilicious (Video)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Elf Yourself elves take over Union Square in New York with a dancing flash mob.



This is becoming a hot move throughout the world; spontaneous group dancing on public streets. ImprovEverywhere is known for it, as well as Nefesh B'Nefesh in Israel.

Mike'd Up, Up, and Away! (Video)

Tirico Suave reports,
In his never-ending quest to deport Jets QB Mark Sanchez, Big Mikey Francesa tried to persuade the Jets into benching him.

He used Troy Aikman as an example, explaining that Jimmy Johnson benched his star rookie quarterback after struggling.

There was only one problem: Aikman was forced to the bench due to injury, not poor performance.

Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, who was on Mike’d Up earlier today, reminded Mike of this fact.


Hotel Fire Alarm Gives Wake-Up Call To Jets

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Apparently, it didn't do good enough of a job.

Chris Chase writes:

In the first half of a big divisional game against the New England Patriots, the New York Jets came out sluggish, getting outscored by 17 points and converting just two first downs over the first 30 minutes. Maybe it's because the team was still tired from Saturday night.

Late Saturday night, a fire alarm was pulled in the Jets' team hotel, rousing members of the team out of their slumber and forcing them to vacate their rooms. Except there was no fire and it was the Jets' team hotel. You do the math.

According to the time stamp on a tweet from tight end Dustin Keller, the fire alarm was pulled around 1 a.m.:


So much for a good nights sleep..the alarm just went off in our teams hotel hahaha grown men walking around the hallway in their draws haha

He's pretty good-natured about it. I certainly wouldn't give one "ha" about getting awakened in the middle of the night, let alone three. Especially if I was wearing "draws."

Cornerback Kerry Rhodes(notes) also posted a tweet about the late-night wake-up call, but he waited until the morning to share:


you know we are playing new england when in the middle of the night when u r sleep somebody pulls a fire alarm to wake u up!! wow!!

The same thing happened to the Buffalo Bills before a Week 1 game in New England. It sounds like there's a fan (or fans) who still like to pull middle school pranks to help support the team. Or maybe it's not a fan at all. Judging by his past history, I wonder if Bill Belichick has an alibi for last night?

First Lady's First Picture

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Search for Michelle Obama’s name via Google’s image search and you’ll likely find an image that has been characterized as a racist caricature of the first lady of the US in the top results:



For more on this, check out the original source.

Money Gain on 'Oh, The Pain!'

A Black-Friday special:

Excerpts from the book include, "Spring Training is like non-alcoholic beer" and "I'm not into the whole twitter thing."


Props to JohnInga.

Marriage Kid-vice


Recently, kids were asked to give advice on the topic of marriage:


How do you decide who to marry?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to get married?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8


What do you think your mom and dad have in common?

Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (Isn't she a treasure?)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10

When is it okay to kiss someone?

When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-- Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8

Is it better to be single or married?

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (Bless you child)

How would the world be different if people didn't get married?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 9

How would you make a marriage work?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
-- Ricky, age 10

You're Not The Boss Of Me Now

Click on the pic to magnify:



I salute you, Dilbert.