SinceThe70s Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 28 minutes ago, ExWNYer said: @Another Fan (Disclaimer: Long post...read on at your own peril. Or don't...you might be glad you saved yourselves the time and energy) Hello, Gents. Just noticed that it has been almost 3 weeks since any of us has posted. I have missed our chats ( rants? 😉 ). Win (or mostly) lose, they are therapeutic. Summer has been busy but good so far. It was beautiful here up until about mid-June with low humidity and temps in the low 70s but then someone opened the blast furnace that is a Virginia summer and unleashed the hounds of hell. We are making up for it in spades...hot and humid with temps in the 90s with a decent amount of rain tossed in for good measure. Good times...not. I hate VA summers. Every time I hear some bozo say, "I LOVE the heat!", I want to slap him (or her) into next week...but I digress. Have been catching up with some friends, going to dinners and enjoying good wine, food, and company. We were also in Jamestown visiting relatives for the week of the 4th which coincided with the Mets six game win streak. Made it to Dunkirk for their outstanding fireworks display over the marina and made it up to Niagara Falls with the family, as well. We had some rain and some beautiful days, as well, but all-in-all a great, relaxing visit with almost a week's worth of Met wins. I did not post during that short-lived streak because I didn't want to jinx it and I knew it could just be an anomaly. Sure enough, as soon as I left New York state, they immediately went back to being the SOFM... WRT this Mets squad, I expect them to stand pat...maybe try to add a minor bullpen piece...and hope to get hot down the stretch and sneak into the last Wild Card spot. That does not inspire me and I don't see it happening anyway. This team is just too inconsistent and can't seem to pitch when they hit or hit when they pitch. It is baffling and aggravating but I think the sample size is large enough now to definitively say that this is who they are...yet another in a long, torturous line of bad &/or underachieving Mets teams. At this point, I'd be all for tearing it down to the ground and keeping only the Franciscos, Alonso, Nimmo, & Baty...and even all of them have been less than inspiring except for the young stud Alvarez who has been a godsend; however, I don't believe that Cohen's ego will allow him to let this team tank and he may end up throwing bad money after bad money. He says he wants to use money to make them competitive until they can build a robust farm system like the Dodgers or Braves and then use homegrown talent complemented with the occasional free agent stud. That sounds great in theory but he can't have it both ways. The farm is several years from being robust and they will be caught in this perpetual back-and-forth until they fully commit to a plan and stick to it. They can't be competitive with high salaried players without sacrificing prospects at the deadline to supplement those high salaried players and they can't be competitive by shedding salary and hoarding prospects who are not abundant enough and not MLB ready. It is the purgatory that comes with being a Met fan and it's beyond old at this point. BTW, can they please sit Pete for a game or two? Please?! I know they need him but he is so in his own head right now that it would take a team of psychiatrists to pull him out of there. He's hitting something like .177 for the last month and a half or so and now it's affecting his defense which was not Gold Glove level anyway. Save him from himself. Lastly, I did not watch any of the game last night and saw that they had won, 11-10, against an awful White Sox team. Upon further review, they had a 5-0 lead in the 1st inning...their highest scoring 1st all season...and also had 8-2 (4th inning) and 11-4 (6th inning) leads before barely hanging on for the 11-10 win with the tying and go ahead runs on 2nd & 3rd in the 9th. In a season like last year, that would probably have been an "exciting" win. This year it is just an annoying microcosm of an initially promising season gone steadily south after the first few weeks. Next year...always next year. Apologies for the long-winded post yet again. Cheers. Good stuff as always. We were down by Knoxville, TN for the winning streak - and I kept my fingers off the keyboard to avoid the jinx too. When the Mets went up 5-0 last night I told my son that it would be a 5-4 nail biter going into the 9th. Right idea, wrong score but that's what we've come to expect with this team. Carrasco is given 8 runs and can't make it out of the 5th. Ugh. I think you're probably right about the Mets standing pat and how the season will play out. The intrigue to me is Verlander/Scherzer. The thought of going into next season relying on them again is uninspiring. Plus the Mets moved up Verlander's start by a day so he'll get two starts before the trade deadline: The Mets are off on July 31 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 is the trade deadline. So I grabbed Showalter to ask if one plus Aug. 1 equals why Verlander was being positioned for one extra July start. He responded, “You do the math.” Then he paused and added, “Of course.” https://nypost.com/2023/07/16/mets-may-make-max-scherzer-justin-verlander-trade-options/ 1
ExWNYer Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 53 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said: Good stuff as always. We were down by Knoxville, TN for the winning streak - and I kept my fingers off the keyboard to avoid the jinx too. When the Mets went up 5-0 last night I told my son that it would be a 5-4 nail biter going into the 9th. Right idea, wrong score but that's what we've come to expect with this team. Carrasco is given 8 runs and can't make it out of the 5th. Ugh. I think you're probably right about the Mets standing pat and how the season will play out. The intrigue to me is Verlander/Scherzer. The thought of going into next season relying on them again is uninspiring. Plus the Mets moved up Verlander's start by a day so he'll get two starts before the trade deadline: The Mets are off on July 31 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 is the trade deadline. So I grabbed Showalter to ask if one plus Aug. 1 equals why Verlander was being positioned for one extra July start. He responded, “You do the math.” Then he paused and added, “Of course.” https://nypost.com/2023/07/16/mets-may-make-max-scherzer-justin-verlander-trade-options/ @Gugny @Another Fan Like every season...whether it's projected to be a possible World Series run or a rebuilding year...I am renewed and hopeful every Opening Day. That said, if they try to run this thing back next year with a healthy Diaz and a few minor tweaks to the bullpen, I will have a difficult time being hopeful. I would welcome Scherzer and Verlander being gone. There are several intriguing and younger FA options available after this season and I want this team to get younger while also getting better. There is just too much uncertainty with older players and having to hold your breath hoping that they will not fall off a cliff and underwhelm. They have $83 million dollars tied up in two mediocre pitchers who are supposed to be franchise guys. Unacceptable. What a shock that two stud free agent acquisitions have become turds in the punch bowl after signing with the Mets. That never seems to happen...😉 Okay, it happens almost exclusively with this team. lol I hope that this is the same fate awaiting Aaron Rodgers and the J-E-S-T, JEST! JEST!! JEST!!! The problem with this overpriced, under-performing cast of characters is that you just can't spin them off without eating most of their salaries and the return you'll get still won't be the higher end prospects from these other organizations attempting a playoff run. This is self-imposed purgatory courtesy of the GMing ineptitude of one Billy Eppler-lectic-fit and the Costanza-esque enormity of Steve Cohen's wallet. 1
Another Fan Posted July 20, 2023 Author Posted July 20, 2023 @ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s Good content as usual. I'm pretty checked out from this year though. I had not heard his name in a while https://nypost.com/2023/07/20/mariners-jarred-kelenic-breaks-foot-kicking-water-cooler/ That trade may not go down as horribly over time. 1
SinceThe70s Posted July 21, 2023 Posted July 21, 2023 2 hours ago, Another Fan said: @ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s Good content as usual. I'm pretty checked out from this year though. I had not heard his name in a while https://nypost.com/2023/07/20/mariners-jarred-kelenic-breaks-foot-kicking-water-cooler/ That trade may not go down as horribly over time. Great point. There's always a rush to judgement on trades but this one has taken some serious twists and turns. Kelenic would have to become a perennial all-star before this trade would look bad to me - and that would still only be if Diaz doesn't return to a semblance of last year. On a separate note @ExWNYer @Gugny - have any of you checked out the latest daily puzzle: Immaculate Grid https://www.immaculategrid.com/ It's a lot of fun. I rarely go 9-9. What's fun for me is comparing notes with my boys. They kill me with the current players and I kill them with the old timers. They've labeled players that played for a ton of teams 'cheat codes'. Good times.
SinceThe70s Posted July 23, 2023 Posted July 23, 2023 @Another Fan @ExWNYer @Gugny I saw today that Guillorme went on the IL and figured it might open up an opportunity for Mauricio. Instead they called up journeyman Mendick. In fairness I don't pay attention to the minors so maybe there's a good reason but with Marte, Pham and Guillorme all on the shelf I thought we might see Mauricio. At the least I hope it opens up at bats for Vientos.
ExWNYer Posted July 23, 2023 Posted July 23, 2023 On 7/20/2023 at 7:57 PM, Another Fan said: @ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s Good content as usual. I'm pretty checked out from this year though. I had not heard his name in a while https://nypost.com/2023/07/20/mariners-jarred-kelenic-breaks-foot-kicking-water-cooler/ That trade may not go down as horribly over time. On 7/20/2023 at 10:57 PM, SinceThe70s said: Great point. There's always a rush to judgement on trades but this one has taken some serious twists and turns. Kelenic would have to become a perennial all-star before this trade would look bad to me - and that would still only be if Diaz doesn't return to a semblance of last year. On a separate note @ExWNYer @Gugny - have any of you checked out the latest daily puzzle: Immaculate Grid https://www.immaculategrid.com/ It's a lot of fun. I rarely go 9-9. What's fun for me is comparing notes with my boys. They kill me with the current players and I kill them with the old timers. They've labeled players that played for a ton of teams 'cheat codes'. Good times. 1 hour ago, SinceThe70s said: @Another Fan @ExWNYer @Gugny I saw today that Guillorme went on the IL and figured it might open up an opportunity for Mauricio. Instead they called up journeyman Mendick. In fairness I don't pay attention to the minors so maybe there's a good reason but with Marte, Pham and Guillorme all on the shelf I thought we might see Mauricio. At the least I hope it opens up at bats for Vientos. @Gugny I saw that Kelenic broke his foot in a fit of anger. Sucks for him but I get it when these competitive guys lose it in the heat of the moment. I'm sure he wishes he had that one back. I don't have an issue with Kelenic being traded but I have an issue with Kelenic being included in that trade, if that makes sense. Shipping away Kelenic for Diaz was not the problem but taking back a washed up Robbie Cano with that albatross of a contract was ridiculous. The Mets did Seattle a huge favor by getting Cano off of their books and those kinds of salary dumps almost always mean that the acquiring team gives up a prospect(s) who is not one of the top in the organization. Kelenic could have been used to acquire another integral piece, if they were willing to trade him. Yet another in a long line of Metsy moves by their former GM. RE: Guillorme...you know it's going poorly when your backup players are dropping like flies, too. Like you @SinceThe70s, I would have loved to have seen Mauricio called up but if he's going to languish on the bench like Vientos did in his first call-up, why bother? Vientos is still not playing as much as he should during call-up #2. How can you evaluate him for the future if you're the Mets or how can opponents evaluate him for a possible trade if he is riding the pine? This team should officially be sellers in a few days and I'd like to see some of these kids, Mauricio included, getting significant time down the irrelevant stretch. BTW, Scherzer sh*t the bed again...4 HRs allowed in a loss. Hope you're enjoying that money, Max.
ExWNYer Posted July 24, 2023 Posted July 24, 2023 On 7/20/2023 at 10:57 PM, SinceThe70s said: On a separate note @ExWNYer @Gugny - have any of you checked out the latest daily puzzle: Immaculate Grid https://www.immaculategrid.com/ I have not tried this yet but I have heard Sal Capaccio mention it on numerous occasions.
SinceThe70s Posted July 26, 2023 Posted July 26, 2023 I noticed this the other day. Makes it look like Pete just hits mistakes
ExWNYer Posted July 26, 2023 Posted July 26, 2023 8 hours ago, SinceThe70s said: I noticed this the other day. Makes it look like Pete just hits mistakes Seems like he's been lost at the plate forever but has shown some signs lately that maybe he's starting to come out of it. He's something like 9-19 over the last several games,including two bombs against the hated Skanks last night. Prior to this little stretch, he couldn't buy a hit. We'll see if he keeps it up or backslides and thuds suddenly as seemingly every other Mets 'streak' of some kind has this season. BTW, sad when one of the few highlights of the year following a 101 win season is a 9-3 drubbing of New York AL in late July.
SinceThe70s Posted July 26, 2023 Posted July 26, 2023 1 hour ago, ExWNYer said: Seems like he's been lost at the plate forever but has shown some signs lately that maybe he's starting to come out of it. He's something like 9-19 over the last several games,including two bombs against the hated Skanks last night. Prior to this little stretch, he couldn't buy a hit. We'll see if he keeps it up or backslides and thuds suddenly as seemingly every other Mets 'streak' of some kind has this season. BTW, sad when one of the few highlights of the year following a 101 win season is a 9-3 drubbing of New York AL in late July. Funny that you mentioned the 101 wins. I saw that in the last few days and had forgotten about that. The way the last month or two of 2022 went it didn't feel liek a 101 win season. Tonights pitching matchup is interesting - two free agents who didn't see the field until recently. 1
SinceThe70s Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 @ExWNYer @Gugny @Another Fan This is outstanding, Bartolo will retire as a Met! https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-bartolo-colon-set-to-retire-as-a-met-on-september-17#:~:text=FLUSHING%2C N.Y.%2C July 28%2C,40 p.m. game vs. Cincinnati. 1 1
ExWNYer Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 2 hours ago, SinceThe70s said: @ExWNYer @Gugny @Another Fan This is outstanding, Bartolo will retire as a Met! https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-bartolo-colon-set-to-retire-as-a-met-on-september-17#:~:text=FLUSHING%2C N.Y.%2C July 28%2C,40 p.m. game vs. Cincinnati. Just saw that news today. Very cool. 😎
SinceThe70s Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 Just now, ExWNYer said: Just saw that news today. Very cool. 😎 It's a football Sunday but my present state of mind is that I want to go and will prioritize over Bills/Raiders. 1
SinceThe70s Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 @Gugny @ExWNYer @Another Fan Looks like the fire sale is in full swing. Scherzer waived his no-trade and it looks like he'll be dealt to the Rangers. https://sny.tv/articles/mets-free-agency-trade-buzz-2023 I thought it was more likely that Verlander would get dealt and now I'll be surprised if he doesn't get moved. When the dust settles I'll look forward to seeing more of Vientos and hopefully Mauricio too. But I think we'll be in for some p!ss poor pitching.
Another Fan Posted July 29, 2023 Author Posted July 29, 2023 1 hour ago, SinceThe70s said: @Gugny @ExWNYer @Another Fan Looks like the fire sale is in full swing. Scherzer waived his no-trade and it looks like he'll be dealt to the Rangers. https://sny.tv/articles/mets-free-agency-trade-buzz-2023 I thought it was more likely that Verlander would get dealt and now I'll be surprised if he doesn't get moved. When the dust settles I'll look forward to seeing more of Vientos and hopefully Mauricio too. But I think we'll be in for some p!ss poor pitching. I think there’s a chance Verlander gets traded to the Reds if they are willing to pick up his contract. Makes all the sense in the world for them since their fighting for the division and have overachieved https://blogredmachine.com/posts/reds-rumors-rival-executive-sleeper-team-ny-mets-justin-verlander Your bit about Colon made me think of Rich Garces. Growing up I thought they looked exactly alike and would even get them confused. Seems Rich is involved with the Connecticut Mets. I’m not sure if they have any affiliation with the NY team at all https://ctmetsbaseball.com/about-us/
SinceThe70s Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 38 minutes ago, Another Fan said: I think there’s a chance Verlander gets traded to the Reds if they are willing to pick up his contract. Makes all the sense in the world for them since their fighting for the division and have overachieved https://blogredmachine.com/posts/reds-rumors-rival-executive-sleeper-team-ny-mets-justin-verlander Your bit about Colon made me think of Rich Garces. Growing up I thought they looked exactly alike and would even get them confused. Seems Rich is involved with the Connecticut Mets. I’m not sure if they have any affiliation with the NY team at all https://ctmetsbaseball.com/about-us/ Nice call on Garces, I had forgotten about him. There's something about non-athletic looking players that makes them endearing. Vogelbach had that going for him, but unfortunately hasn't produced enough. As I recall Garces was pretty good.
Gugny Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 3 hours ago, SinceThe70s said: @Gugny @ExWNYer @Another Fan Looks like the fire sale is in full swing. Scherzer waived his no-trade and it looks like he'll be dealt to the Rangers. https://sny.tv/articles/mets-free-agency-trade-buzz-2023 I thought it was more likely that Verlander would get dealt and now I'll be surprised if he doesn't get moved. When the dust settles I'll look forward to seeing more of Vientos and hopefully Mauricio too. But I think we'll be in for some p!ss poor pitching. 2 hours ago, Another Fan said: I think there’s a chance Verlander gets traded to the Reds if they are willing to pick up his contract. Makes all the sense in the world for them since their fighting for the division and have overachieved https://blogredmachine.com/posts/reds-rumors-rival-executive-sleeper-team-ny-mets-justin-verlander Your bit about Colon made me think of Rich Garces. Growing up I thought they looked exactly alike and would even get them confused. Seems Rich is involved with the Connecticut Mets. I’m not sure if they have any affiliation with the NY team at all https://ctmetsbaseball.com/about-us/ After Max went to Texas, my first thought was to wonder if Houston would try to counter and get Verlander back. 1
ExWNYer Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 1 hour ago, Gugny said: After Max went to Texas, my first thought was to wonder if Houston would try to counter and get Verlander back. @SinceThe70s @Another Fan It's official...Scherzer and $35.5 million go to Texas in exchange for Ronald Acuna's little brother. That's all the Mets got so this kid had better be good. I'm sure there's a zero percent chance he ever amounts to anything half as good as Atlanta's Acuna. Because Mets...
Another Fan Posted August 3, 2023 Author Posted August 3, 2023 @ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s Wow. Just an epic suck job by this team. Getting swept by one of the record wise worst teams in major league history. In this order walk off balk, 4-0, and 9-2. I know we have an owner now willing to spend moolah and eat it if necessary but I've lost all faith in him for the time being.
Gugny Posted August 4, 2023 Posted August 4, 2023 3 hours ago, Another Fan said: @ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s Wow. Just an epic suck job by this team. Getting swept by one of the record wise worst teams in major league history. In this order walk off balk, 4-0, and 9-2. I know we have an owner now willing to spend moolah and eat it if necessary but I've lost all faith in him for the time being. This Mets season will be talked about for decades. Horrible.
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