2018 MLB Season
Pitchers and catchers will report next week. MLB has done away with staggering opening days this season. All 32 teams will play on Thursday, March 29th.
The Yankess will open the season on the road in Toronto, and will host their home opener on Tuesday, April 2nd vs. Tampa Bay.
Calico696 I recall that in 1971 the Oakland A's started the season with a double header ... that Charlie Finley was always trying goofy things :-D
Andy Loigu I'm more excited for my son's first college season than the Mets season. He's been working hard getting stronger and was hitting balls that were measured 425 feet and 98mph exit velocities off of his bat this winter. He's even measured over 100mph at times. They have some tool where he was hitting that measures stuff like that. That's off BP so who knows how far the ball would travel at 85-90mph pitching.
Metsman 
UserFriendly I do understand the pride you have about your son being the next Aaron Judge and you never miss an opportunity to crow about it. Good for you to have that in your life but give it rest as it does not need to be on every thread that starts about pro sports. It would be more interesting to talk about how Scott Boras has filled the heads of his clients with unreal expectations. Does he really think that 5 years at 25 million a year is not enough for J. D. Martinez? Do you think like he does that Hosmer is worth over 200 million for 8 or 9 years? No team wants to go long term like that any more since the end of the long contract is not a good deal for the team.
MK Post some videos, I'd like to see him slugging a few!!!
Andy, close but the doubleheader was games 2 & 3
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1971&t=OAK
CBGB 
KWD I don't follow baseball much until it gets closer to the playoffs, and my team (White Sox) will likely be garbage for the next couple years (although the rebuild is really promising), but quick question for those who might know.
Are they extending the netting at Yankee Stadium this season? I recall a lot was said about that in the fall and early winter after that poor girl got drilled in the face by a foul ball (bleeding on the brain, broken nose, etc).
An accident, could've happened anywhere or to anyone. Not a lot of folks, even quick-reflexed adults, can really dodge a foul ball at 100mph when you're that close.
kingcoriander 
CraftBeerBob 
IAmMe Hi CBGB ... as the baseball almanac shows (I love that site ... they used my quote on Cole Kimball's player page) ... the A's opened in Washington ... then the double header was their home opening day in Oakland.
One of my all-time favorite baseball memories involved that 1971 A's team ... Vida Blue had a fantastic year while the O's had those four 20-game winners. In the ALCS "battle of the vowels" thanks to having season ticket holders in my family, I was at Memorial Stadium for game 1 watching Vida Blue ... Paul Blair got a big hit as the Orioles rallied late for the win ... a few years later, as a newspaperman, I met Paul Blair and he autographed my scorecard of that game, right where his big hit appeared ... he smiled as he said, "yeah, Vida thought he could throw that smoke by me" ... RIP Paul Blair, was as good as they get in center field and was nice to children and fanatical fans (they're kinda the same thing).
Here's the box score of that Paul Blair game ... his hit gave the O's the lead. One of the best O's wins I've ever seen, besides their three series clinchers. Thankfully they finished their championship years twice in Baltimore and once in Philly ... anyone want my game 7 ticket from 1969? Some Mets fan might be willing to pay big $$$ for it :-D
I'm glad they had the success they did when I was young LOL ... the memories are still vivid.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197110030BAL
ianimal Since its a Thursday this year instead of a Monday, that puts Cryan's in play... Still your choice, though.
Sure, we can do Cryan's. They open at 11:30 on Thursdays. The only thing that is freaking me out is that their website countdown says that there is 381 days until St. Patrick's day. Is today not March 1st? Note my new gravatar......
Hard to understand why the O's did not make a big push for Arrietta ... some sources say he was a real knucklehead and wore out his welcome when he pitched there, but he obviously changed his approach when he went to the Cubs and matured ... at least between the white lines, anyway.
Watching Manny Machado play shortstop has been the most interesting thing about spring training for this bird watcher. He was marvelous at third, but, so far, hasn't made me forget about Luis Aparicio with his shortstop play ... let us hope it kicks into gear and he becomes the defensive performer that made him such a hot prospect down in South Florida in his high school days. If the O's don't contend, he may end up playing for your favorite team as the prototype "rent a player" :-D
MeisterNJ MMMM let's see, my Yankees Christmas list, outfield - checked off, infield - checked off, pitching still waiting LOL............
O's open at home vs. the twinkies ... a rematch of the 69 and 70 ALCS I'll be at "the yard" munching on real crabcakes :-D They save the real good ones for the season ticket holders .... it's nice to know people.
Just confirming that the annual HL opening day meet up with be at Cryan's in Annadale this Thursday. I should be there between 12:30 and 12:45.
Damn. I will have trouble making it. Last minute meeting changes and I have guests coming from out of town that day too. If I do make it, prob wouldn't be until 3 pm or so.
I'm in. Probably get there around the same time as you.
Just an FYI... I went to Cryan's the Thursday before St Patrick's Day for the NCAA tournament opening game... the place was MOBBED. Not sure if that's normal or if it was because of March Madness; I suspect the former. We will probably be stuck at a table instead of the bar... service was a bit on the slow side, too. But they have Czig Meister on tap...
I believe Clyde is in as well. Hubby can't make it this year, but I may have another friend or two meeting up.
Meh... the boss scheduled an interview with some snot-nosed college kid at 2pm tomorrow. Looks like I won't get there until 3:00 at the earliest.
Well that stinks, as I am probably only staying until 4. I guess it will be just Clyde and I for lunch. Awesome!!! I can have him all to myself!
Clyde Potts Yes, I just had a meeting scheduled for 2:30 too. May take it from the road but I won't be there before 3:30 most likely.
Roywhite Gregory Polanco kicks a 140 yard FG in overtime to lift the Steelers over the Lions, 13-10...
Rusty is the answer to an interesting trivia question --- he had 500 or more hits for four different teams! RIP
Loving the Buccos 8-2 start as well... no delusions yet about where they'll eventually wind up though. Right around .500 is my guess, but they've been fun to watch the first two weeks.
Gerrit Cole tearing it up down in Houston... 0.64 ERA and 22 Ks in 14 IP over his first two starts. If he's your rotation's 4th starter, you're going to be hard to beat.
Ex-Bucco and Flemington native Charlie "Ground Chuck" Morton also representing himself well in Houston with a 2-0 record and 12 scoreless innings to start the season.
With all the games the Mets and Nats play against the Phillies and Marlins and Braves, both should be playoff teams, no problem.
The Orioles started 12-1 in 1966 and ended up winning the World Series. A good start does mean something ... now all we need is some good baseball weather.
Bird droppings ... it's hitting rock bottom for the O's
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-royals-fans-20180508-story.html
I hope the Yanks are due for a clunker... I'm starting Porcello in my fantasy league today, lol.
The Sox and the Yanks are both lighting it up the first 6 weeks of the season, but I still have the 'Stros as the team to beat in the AL. That rotation is insane.
Four of their starters are in the top 25 in the majors in Ks and 3 are in the top 12 in ERA (playing against the DH, unlike NL pitchers). If they stay healthy, the Yanks could potentially strike out 100 times in a 7-game series against them. (-;
I'm just happy the Bucs are still 4 games above .500 and sniffing the Cards tailfeathers.I think they'll stick around and make a run at the WC if not the NL Central crown.
The return of guys like Al Oliver and Dave Parker would be nice for the Buccos ... back in the day they had lineups that could really rake ... they were pretty spectacular defensively, too, back in the 70s.
Matt Harvey no longer a Met ... Tom Seaver's stature as the All-Time Face of the Franchise is still secure. Funny thing ... Seaver also got traded to Cincinnati, after which fans stayed away from Shea in droves ... to protest.
As Yogi used to say, if the fans don't want to come, who is going to stop them?
Buccos scored 4 in the top of the 9th to beat the Chisox 6-5 yesterday.
How about those Mets... batting out of order in their 1st at bat. Can't even get the right lineup card to the umpire? I think Cooperstown just re-opened the spot they had set aside for Mickey Callaway as a hall-of-fame manager, LOL.
Wouldn’t have mattered if Harvey stayed or not. He had a couple of good seasons. He’s nowhere near Seaver’s stature.
Harvey's fall from grace reminds me of the wisdom of ole Satchel Paige ...
avoid the social ramble, it ain't restful.
To get the answer to this trivia question, consider it is coming from a long time O's fan.
Who was the first player to hit homers from both sides of the plate in back to back games?
No, it wasn't Mickey ... it was Eddie, Eddie Murray. Loved when Eddie and Kenny Singleton, were both switch hitting sluggers in the middle of the order.
I feel badly for the younger O's fans who were not around for the days they had a first rate franchise.
I don't think I've ever seen a major league team bat out of order until this happened with the Mets. That along with the plunge they've taken in the standings is ridiculous...
It happens every couple of seasons, but usually in later innings when there's a pitching change combined with defensive switches. It's definitely the first time I've seen it happen in the first friggin' inning, lol.
The infamous "double switch" sometimes has led to confusion. I remember American League baseball before the DH when Weaver, Gene Mauch, and Billy Martin loved to play lineup manipulation.
The O's have won two in a row! To quote the great Lou Brown from the movie Major League ... "that's called a winning streak. It HAS happened before ..."
The new Mets manager is in way over his head. A major league team in NYC is probably not the best place for your first managing position. Maybe it would be better to work one's way up thru the minors? Or at least start in a small market where there's only one newspaper and the guy that owns the team also owns the paper? Or Seattle or someplace similar, where nobody knows what goes on?
BTW, where IS Wally Backman?
Reggie Voter "Wouldn’t have mattered if Harvey stayed or not. He had a couple of good seasons. He’s nowhere near Seaver’s stature."
he's never been the same since the injury and none will admit it.
Whip Actually, he hasn't been the same since Adriana Lima dumped him. My wife noticed it. He has been in a depressive way since then, it shows in how he plays and how he carries himself.
We consider ourselves to be such experts, able to predict the future, and then things like this always mess up the best laid plans of general managers :-D
It helps a lot to have an abundance of talent :-D Look at what Casey Stengel did with the Yankees (Mantle, Yogi, Whitey Ford etc.).. and then he went to the Mets :-(
This could go in either the MLB forum or the NFL forum, but will post it here because it's baseball season. Ichiro had no clue who Brady was. LMAO
https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-brady-asked-ichiro-advice-stretching-ichiro-no-idea-brady-155301085.html
Robbie Cano, don'tcha know... steroids are a no-no.
Enjoy your 80-game and post-season suspension, dumbass.
I’ll never defend a cheater but I wish there was some way to get the total truth. Only Cano can give that and I won’t believe him. He is suspended for a diuretic which masks roid use, not roids it's self.
He failed test at start of season and now he has a broken arm so would miss significant time anyway.
Shoulda stayed in NY, seeeeeeya
Personally, I think he should have to pass a physical before he begins serving his suspension. It wouldn't necessarily make a difference to his wallet, but he shouldn't get credit for games he would have missed anyway due to injury.
The big thing that kills Cano's credibility was that he used a masking agent ... what was he trying to hide? Did y'all hear finger-pointing Raffy is in his 50s and still wants to play in the majors, just to prove his legitimacy or whatever?
OK ... pretending to be GM of the Orioles who are going nowhere this year ... what will you give me for Machado? If we don't get anything that's simply too good to refuse, I'd hold onto Manny... he's still a young pup approaching the most productive years of his career. Would be tough to get "equal value" back in a trade, unless he proves impossible to sign in free agency.
The O's would be stupid to get rid of Machado. That's the kind of player you build around. He'll only be 26 in July. Sign him long term. Otherwise we'll take him on the Mets. You can have Rosario and Wheeler. ;o)
Although he would be an upgrade on the sorry staff the O's have, he would not be THAT much of an improvement. Watched Wheeler pitch against Toronto yesterday, wouldn't do much in the AL East. Give me the long haired golden boy and Rosario and we may a deal :-D
A good start for Matz the other night. Is it just me or does he really look like Joe DiMaggio? (Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Paul Simon asked...)
Phillies in First Place Memorial Day Weekend. Last time was 2011. Good young team with a tough June schedule
LittlePiglet 1964 started this way ... modest expectations at the start because the team hasn't been a contender for a while ... team finds itself in first place heading into Memorial Day, ... Bunning perfect game on Father's Day ... still in first on Fourth of July, lead keeps getting bigger as the summer goes on ... hey, this is our year ... and then .... well, I still have my World Series ticket ....
Metsman, I was going to bust your balls about last night... but then I remembered that the Pirates suck just as bad as the Mets. Condolences and sincere sympathy for having to watch that meltdown...
My sentiments, too, Ian, after the zer-O's took two straight at Citi Field.
… the Mets have the best pitcher in the game, deGrom, and they are totally wasting it … ah, I'm nostalgic for 1971, when the O's had 71 complete games, including 15 shutouts. Nobody in the pen appeared in more than 35 games!
I guess Ian was too young to watch the thrilling 7-game series that year. Steve Blass really stepped up with a couple of complete game wins when the Pirates really needed them. That was baseball!! Now, if you ask a pitcher to go nine, he can't do it because he never did it before, he's too tired.
Ahmed Rosario has 8 walks in 245 at bats. I mean, how do you make it to the major leagues with such crappy plate discipline like that?!
In 2004, Jose Reyes had 5 walks in 220 ABs for a 2.27% BB/AB ratio.
Rosario's 3.26% seems almost lofty by comparison, LOL.
Reyes hit .255 in 2004 with a .271 OBP... .245 and .273 ain't so far off. OPS and age are similar as well. Maybe Rosario improves, maybe he doesn't... the book is still open though.
He didn't play a full season that year. Once Reyes played full seasons he drew more walks and was a more complete player. Rosario is here to play all season and only has 8.
Well, Mark Belanger was a pathetic hitter in the early 70s, but since he won gold gloves at shortstop the O's kept playing him.
Ha, an off-the-subject chuckle … in 76 before the Steelers pulverized the Colts in a playoff game, the Baltimore Colts marching band was playing Maryland, My Maryland … and a little kid in front of me tells his dad … "I know that song, they're playing O Christmas Tree" … it's a Maryland thing … some guy crashed a plane into the upper deck after the game ended … if people hadn't been leaving early because it was a blowout, some people might have been killed. A surreal day ...
Andy, I missed most of that game because my mom made me go to the Ingersoll Rand Christmas party at P'burg High School instead... man, was I one pissed-off 5-year old Stiller fan, lol.
At least your team had a game the next week.
The 1969 World Series teams have now hit rock bottom … what a difference half a century makes :( The O's have more losses now, at the end of June, than the 69 team had the entire season, including the post season.
Went to a Rochester Red Wings game last night. But it was puddled out, yep not rained out, puddled out is how I put it. It did rain hard but when the rain stopped there were large puddles in foul territory so the game was cancelled. bummer it would have been SueR first pro ball game.
and it was Plate night. A few times a year the Red Wings rename themselves The Plates after a famous Rochester meal the garbage plate.
Good old Joe Altobelli … last guy to manage an Orioles world series championship.
Earl Weaver also managed at Rochester … future Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken played there at old Silver Stadium... as did future Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan.
By the way, we're slipping here at HL, we let Bobby Bonilla Day slip by without comment … to the Mets, Happy Belated Bobby Bonilla Day :-D
Andy, as per your April 11 statement, do you still think the Mets and the Nats are the better teams?
PBM Certainly not the Mets, who are wasting a great season by deGrom. Too early to shovel dirt on the Nats, though, still a half season to go and they have a lot of good players.
Happy for former Oriole Nick Markakis that he's in a pennant race. Don't think he misses Baltimore, much, maybe some old friends but certainly not the ball club :-D
The Mets manger is way out of his league. Even I have more managerial experience than he does. It shows every game.
Mets Fans
Managers Fault??
As they saying goes You Can't make Chicken Salad out of Chicken @!#$
Yes, he makes a lot of mistakes. Rookie mistakes. He never managed even a little league team.
Looks like Machado to the Dodgers is a done deal just awaiting the official announcement. To quote our old friend Jimmy Rollins, does this make the Dodgers "the team to beat" in the NL?
Did anyone see the horrible job ESPN did on Monday night's rain-out makeup game between the Yankees and Mets ? The Mets smacked around Yankee pitching and deGrom added to his Cy Young effort by pitching another very good , but not great game . However Keith Olberman and the two goons with him in the booth trashed the Mets the entire time , that is when idiot Olberman wasn't talking about himself and the goons weren't cackling over some private joke or mis-prouncing player names . Even the Yankee fans hated it . ESPN could've brought back senile Joe Morgan and done a better job ! That network has really gone down the tubes .
97XBAM We also watched the game, it was awful. The unprofessionalism of the narrators was very annoying. In addition, it is so hard to read the info on the screen, especially outs, inning, etc. This is on a large screen tv not a 13". I so prefer the Yes network. Yes we are Yankee fans but I like Michael Kay and friends much better.
justwondering Michael Kay is the absolute worst. Someone who has never played the game professionally has no business doing play-by-play IMO.
"Michael Kay is the absolute worst. Someone who has never played the game professionally has no business doing play-by-play IMO."
Completely agree with your first comment and completely disagree with your second. Just because someone was great at PLAYING baseball doesn't mean they're great at TELLING baseball.
Vin Scully, Curt Gowdy, Harry Kalas, Jack Buck, Dick Enberg, Al Michaels, Bob Costas... none of them played professionally, but they were all better announcers than anyone who did.
"Just because someone was great at PLAYING baseball doesn't mean they're great at TELLING baseball."
I didn't say ALL who played SHOULD do play-by-play either.
Ex-players work out better as the "color" guy, rather than the play-by-play, IMO. I love Keith Hernandez, but can you imagine him trying to do Gary Cohen's job? LOL, that would be an unmitigated disaster.
What ex-players do you consider to be great play-by-play guys? Bob Uecker comes to mind,. but not many more than that...
Cohen is out on vacation and you can really hear the difference . It looked like since this was a rescheduled game - ESPN just threw some bodies in the booth . Didn't even know Olberman still did sports . That guy's a legend in his own mind . Mets-Phillies have a double header Thursday and the 4pm game is only on Facebook . Surprisingly enough their last FB broadcast was pretty good . MLB Network announcers Scott Braun , Cliff Floyd , and John Kruk were much better than anything on ESPN .
Before Michael Kay took over on TV the Yankees always had the play by play shared. They did three innings a piece. All former players.
I don't watch many Yankee games , but the last announcer they had that I really liked was Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto - he was hilarious ! Much like John Kruk - when they did the Mets' Facebook game back in April they gave him a chocolate covered vanilla ice cream cone . Even though he is now clean cut and shaven it wasn't long before he had a big chocolate stain on his shirt . Some things never change , gotta luv Krukky !
I recall Howard Cosell railing against former players taking so many sports broadcasting jobs - the "joc-ocracy", he disparagingly called it.
jd2 As opposed to Howard who did football , boxing ,had his own radio spot - Howard Cosell Speaking of Sports , baseball, and various other gigs on ABC's Wide World of Sports . His grandson Colin Cosell is one of the PA announcers at Citi Field and does a spot on imitation of his granddad . I can just imagine the Mets' Todd Frazier going down with injury and Colin Cosell proclaiming - Down Goes Frazier , Down Goes Frazier !
https://nypost.com/2018/05/30/mets-hire-howard-cosells-grandson/
Showing my age, I remember Mel Allen (a non-player) working together with Phil Rizzuto. The Scooter once joked, "on the plane Mel would read classics by Shakespeare and I'd be reading comic books." After Brooks Robinson retired, he was the color man with Chuck Thompson, a "pro" who did Orioles' play-by-play for over 40 years, (including championship seasons when Brooks was playing). I may be a tad biased, but that was the best broadcasting I've heard anywhere.
Vin Scully, Bob Prince, Ernie Harwell, Bob Murphy, Keith Jackson … and many others … were great play-by-play guys who "never played the game."
The former players do need to study broadcasting to be good, it's not just something any former player can do without practice, practice and more practice.
How about these three clowns on ESPN right now? The game is only watchable with the sound turned down. That is, whatever ESPN decides to show of the actual game, it's mostly a side show. Plus their annoying strike zone box. Ugh.
Then there are the Yankee's announcers...and Joe Buck...and Mr. Gary "Even though this is TV, I will describe every pitch, swing and each player's socks, and tell you every stat imaginable and some that aren't" Cohen.
Why can't they just show the game, and jump in when commentary is needed?
The Mets must have really angered the baseball gods to get 2 games within a week on horrible ESPN , much less having a record setting 24 run game on Facebook only where very few Met fans actually saw it !
I watched the Facebook game - it was actually well done. Very clear picture on my PC monitor. I couldn't get it to work on either of the smart TVs though.
I watched it on my 24 inch desktop , no John Kruk or Cliff Floyd like the first one , but it was okay . I have Miracast on my laptop and blu ray player , but it just won't ever link up so I can watch on the big screen .
I've been watching some Mets games lately because the NL has some exciting divisional and wild card races going on … Gary Cohen has a sense of humor and draws Keith and Ron into lots of good conversation... their "old school" outlook on how the game should be played comes out quite often. Definitely appreciate deGrom, try to catch all of his games because the guy is good and also classy.
Often check on the Yankees to see if ex-Oriole Ken Singleton is in the booth that day. Thanks to Kenny I learned that former Oriole Merv Rettenmund believed left handers' pitches "move more because they throw against the rotation of the earth." Now there's some "inside baseball" for ya :-D
Jacob deGrom going for the Cy Young is the only thing to watch them for now (his next game is Thursday) . Of course they're actually winning series now , too bad this level of offense wasn't around months ago .
The problem is that Gary doesn't let it go - he keeps asking Keith and Ron questions to try to fill the air. Keith has even started sighing noticeably at Gary's unending questions.
The old school aspect of it is great though! (such as actually expecting a player to RUN to first).
As for the Coriolis effect, it would depend on which compass direction the pitch is being thrown and in which hemisphere (North vs south)! I have calculated and tested it many times over my career, and cover that in one of my aerospace engineering courses.
Everybody finds a new level of offense when they play the Orioles these days LOL It's a shame when the best pitcher at Camden Yards is 72-year old Jim Palmer in the broadcast booth.
eeke! He is 72? Seems like not too long ago that he was posing in those embarrassing underwear ads.
I'm sure Andy saw the Boog Powell interview on last week's Mets-Orioles game . If not here is part of it ;
https://www.mlb.com/mets/video/boog-powell-on-1969-world-series/c-2388772083
I saw/heard that interview live but thanks for the link anyway :-D When I met him many years ago he said, "You're a big guy, and I don't say that to many people."
According to a conversation I once heard on TV, he wasn't allowed to play Little League baseball one year because he hit the ball too hard. Other parents were afraid he'd take someone's head off!!
In 1971 the O's debuted a new uniform with orange top and orange pants. They stopped wearing it when someone wrote in the Baltimore Sun … "they make Boog Powell look like a giant pumpkin."
Tonite Yanks win a close one. 12in, 4+hrs...and thankfully no obvious conection to Baltimore
In the NL, Daniel Murphy got traded … how did he get through waivers? The Mets did not want him back?
The Mets are going nowhere this season , Murphy is 33 , was hurt most of the season , was never that good defensively , looks like a shell of what he was the previous two seasons , and the younger Jeff McNeil looks like the real deal as their second baseman of the future . The Mets can still get him (cheap) to possibly play first/third after this season when he will be a free agent . The Cubs feel he could contribute to the post season and that's why they traded whatever they traded to pick him up on a short term rental . The fire selling Nats also put free agent to be Bryce Harper on waivers , but no team was willing to give up their entire farm system to rent him the remainder of the season !
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-sports-mets-giants-game-box-20180821-story.html
David Wright has been playing minor league games, would be nice to see him at least have one final at bat with the Mets … any chance that would happen?
If that happened the Wilpons would cry like babies as that 15 million or so this year the insurance company is paying towards Wright's salary would go POOF !
https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/how-does-insurance-work-on-david-wrights-contract/246384432
Dear Wilpon Family,
Last night I went to the Mets/Giants game. Every time I come to Citi Field I have to walk through a rotunda dedicated to a player who never wore a Mets uniform. I feel like I’m at Dodger’s stadium. Get rid of the Jackie Robinson crap and put up great Mets moments from the 69 and 86 World Series and other great moments. How about showing a clip of Piazza’s emotional homerun after baseball returned after 9/11… How about showing Jesse Orosco closing out the 86 World Series…. I mean that is such a missed opportunity that it shows how out of touch you really are with the fans. Then there’s the green seats. Really? Other than those two things the ballpark is beautiful. Then there’s the beer…. $13 for a Bud Light…. Are you trying to make up for lost revenue or what… Why should I pay more for that than a double Shake Shack burger?! In 2006 beer cost $6 at Shea…. I know inflation has risen but more than double the price! I passed on that. I guess only the drunks are willing to pay that price. This is NY baseball…. Start putting a consistent product on the field. We’re tired of having 2 good years and then waiting 10 years for the next good one. Stop being cheap bastards and do what needs to be done to win. If you can’t do that then sell the damn team……
Sincerely,
Metsman
"Why should I pay more for (a beer) than a double Shake Shack burger?!"
Because people that eat six or eight double Shake Shack burgers after eating a dozen of them in the parking lot before the game don't make an ass out of themselves and ruin the game experience for everyone around them?
Dude... inexcusable. So I guess restaurants should double their prices based on your reasoning...
Do people tailgate in a restaurant parking lot before dinner? Is there a huge problem with people puking and fighting in restaurants?
No but they leave drunk a lot from Bea McNally's and get caught. They pee in the bushes outside.
Raising the prices won't stop anything. The heavy drinkers will just do it in the parking lot before the game. I'd just like to have a beer with my meal. I'm not paying more for the beer than the meal.
Those people are there for the bar, not the restaurant. You don't get wasted while eating dinner at a restaurant.
But, whatever... you asked why beers cost so much at the stadium; I told you why. You don't have to like the answer. Why don't you work a little harder so that a $13 beer isn't that big of a financial burden?
Really ianimal? What does working harder have to do with it? I just don't want the beer that bad to pay that ridiculous price. Get a clue...
How much did you pay to drive across the bridge and park at the stadium? A $13 beer seems like a bargain when you factor that in.
Plus, technically, if you were looking to drink a beer, you wouldn't have mentioned Bud Light in the first place (-;
That probably is a factor in deciding to buy a beer there. $15 at GWB. $8.50 each way on RFK. $25 to park. $60 for two people to eat. Tickets were free from a friend, but when you're going double digits on light beer, no thanks. And no I don't drink bud light, I just used it as an example. A Heineken and other better brands are like $14. I looked up beer prices. Citifield is at the top in terms of price. Probably making up for lost revenue...
Go check out the Iron Pigs sometime... it's $1 to cross the bridge, $5 to park, $11 for field level seats, $6 for a craft beer, the food is fantastic at reasonable prices and considering this is the Mets we're talking about... the baseball is probably better too (-;
They’re a Phillies affiliate. No thanks. I remember paying $6 for a beer at Shea in 2006. I was at the game against the Nationals where Nick Johnson broke his leg. Even a few years ago at Citifield I remember paying $8 for a good beer. I don’t get where they feel the need to jack up the cost that much. Pure greed…
The Mets Triple A will be in Syracuse next season. So they will be in the same league as the Iron Pigs. A few Mets fans I know are buying season tickets so they can go to the games when the Iron Pigs play them.
ianimal - I agree about minor leagues baseball being so worth it. Craft beer is only $7 at the Scranton Railriders games. Food is reasonable too.
It would be nice if I could get the Buccos to move their AAA affiliate to Reading or Lancaster... or at least closer than Indianapolis, lol.
But, until that happens, the IronPigs will be my local MiLB team to root for and support. It's not like they're the Cubs', Cards' or Brewers' farm club (-;
The 2019 schedule is out. Syracuse is playing at Coca-Cola Park (another reason I love that place... F Pepsi) ELEVEN times out of the IronPigs 70 total home games. Mets fans may as well buy season tickets there, lol.
Indianapolis comes in only once for a three game set... understandable, considering I'm sure they still travel by bus and it's probably a good 10-hour drive.
Remember that when Citi first opened, the outfield walls were green too? The fan outcry caused the knuckleheaded Wilponzis to change them to blue.
They are actually offering a "Mets Pack" which consists of tickets to 10 of the 11 Syracuse games for $110 apiece.
https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=MILB_MPV&orgid=52489&pid=8601602#/event/8601602/seatmap/?selectBuyers=false&minPrice=110&maxPrice=110&quantity=2&sort=price_desc&ada=false&seatSelection=true&onlyCoupon=true
In 2011, from the press box (reporting for the Express-Times) I saw Cole Kimball get saves in back to back games (a Saturday and Sunday) for Syracuse against the IronPigs at Coca Cola Park. A month later, Cole made his MLB debut with the Nationals … so cool. Under manager Ryne Sandberg the Pigs made the Governor's Cup final that year.
One thing to keep in mind about what you're watching in Triple-A … a player has to be a superstar just to make a major league roster the following season … saw a guy play an incredible game at Norfolk … five hits including a homer that tied the game, and then the game-winning RBI single up the middle in the 11th, threw a guy out at the plate with a bullet, laser, rope that sizzled and left a vapor trail ... shortly after his call up he hit for the cycle with the Mets … the guys on this thread who know me, know who this guy is … Alex Ochoa :-D
RV, it's a lot easier and cheaper to paint a wall than swap out 42,000 green seats for blue ones. I'm guessing between materials, disposal, transportation and union labor, you're talking $300-500 per seat or a total of $12.6 to $21M... not saying they shouldn't pay it, but that's a big nut to crack.
Ian … the Pirates had a Double-A club in Harrisburg for a long time … now they are in Altoona (sensible move) they play in Trenton against the Thunder quite a lot … nice ballpark right by the Delaware River right off Rte. 29 :-D
Cole Kimball pitched at Harrisburg on his way up the ladder with the Nats. Funny comment from my wife when we went to see him pitch … we get to our seats and she asks, "who are the Thunder playing?" I answer "The Harrisburg Senators" … she thinks for a moment and says "that sounds corrupt."
People were complaining in 2015 that Bud Light was too expensive at $8.75...
https://www.axs.com/news/new-york-mets-beer-prices-soar-at-citi-field-49458
That's proof right there that the Wilpon's are scam artists and must be losing money...
"Rootin for the Yankees is like rootin for Steve Jobs to hit the lotto..."
"The Mets have no money, Dave..."
"At Citi Field, second base is a manhole cover … for the whole year …"
"The Yankees have bat day, the Mets have bring a bat day …"
The Mets are 13-10 in August . Conforto has finally come back from his injury , Rosario is batting better and stealing bases , rookie Jeff McNeil is hitting well , and even Vargas won his last three starts .Too little too late , but at least they are fun to watch again . Watching them smack the Yankees pitching around last week , then putting up 16 against the Orioles , scoring a club record 24 runs the next day - all have been fun to watch and that's actually why we watch isn't it ?
Andy, Gary Cohen just mentioned Alex O. - as a player that got off to a good start and never panned out!
He didn't pan out with the Mets but was on the 25-man with the WS champion Angels in 2002 … you can look up his 1999 and 2000 stats, both seasons at .300 or over and established himself as one of the game's better fourth outfielders, a guy who can come off the bench and come through for you. He then played five years in Japan and was an all-star, one of the few Americans to win a gold glove there … most Americans who get signed there are needed to give light hitting teams some power.
Only man to hit for the cycle in both MLB (with the Mets) and in Japan (Chunichi Dragons).
Alex did OK -- career .279 batting average, was a better player after his Mets years, but I don't expect Mets fans to care about that. The Angels traded for him at the July 31 deadline in 2002 and were happy with his contributions.
Here are his numbers … not a HOF by any stretch, but a respectable career in which he adjusted to a role off the bench after the Mets wanted him to be a home run hitter... he had the power to hit a first-pitch fastball out of the park, but his thing was hitting line drives into the gaps …he was not a Mo Vaughn LOL
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ochoaal01
Just laid $50 on the Yankees... that should ensure a nice early exit from the postseason, lol.
Tonight was the first time I personally saw Cutch in pinstripes. It's been almost three hours and the bile is still strong in the back of my throat.
Willie Mays Hayes, Jake Taylor and Jobu need to step up today. Wild Thing is in the bullpen.
Watching the Yankees lose is like watching the house fall on the Wicked Witch... it always brings a smile to my face.
I'm rooting for Milwaukee, but I still think the 'Stros are going to repeat, just like I've thought all year.
No love for the Yankees from this lifelong O's fan … Houston has the pitching and just like the Sawx, a relentless offense that is never out of a game. Over in the NL, I can still enjoy watching Manny Machado :-D
Go Brew Crew go, gotta root for NL again this year, and never LA.
Andy, FYI:
https://uni-watch.com/2018/10/20/remembering-the-charlotte-os/
Thanks for the link, Roywhite, I saw Murray play there in 1976, that team lost a one-game playoff to Orlando for the division title … a good example of how hard it is for good players to make the majors … Murray and three others made the Southern League all-stars that season … ever heard of Dave Ford, Blake Doyle, or Marty Parrill? Well, they were all-stars in Double-A in 1976 :-D … Ford led the league in wins (17) Doyle led the league in hits (158 in a 140 game season) Parrill won a gold glove. Murray got called up to Rochester in mid-season, a year later was the AL Rookie of the Year.
Had Reggie Jackson not signed with the Yankees during the off-season, Eddie Murray would have started the 1977 season in Triple-A with Rochester.
There's a guy who took advantage when he got his opportunity, just a month after his 21st birthday!
Hackettstown may have one of it's own taken in the 2019 MLB draft. The ball has started to roll. Stay tuned.
I don't think I can bring myself to spend the time watching the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Not in the middle of football and the beginning of hockey seasons.
Localchef For the first time in my life, I will not be watching one inning of the World Series. I hate the Red Sox and I hate the Dodgers. Oh well, I guess I will just read a book.
This Redsox team is the best team since the The Big Red Machine in the mid 70s.
Also,
THE YANKEES SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DannyZuko Yeah these guys hit the ball to all fields proficiently. They're not a one swing type of team.
Greg I almost wish it was 2 other teams in the WS, if you missed it read the link, todays starter pitched last night, runs scored for both in the 13th, historic game
https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2018/10/27/if-you-didnt-stay-up-for-the-longest-world-series-game-ever-heres-what-happened
It's been my experience with extra inning games, going back over 50 years, when a team scores and the home team matches it in the bottom of the inning… we're in for a long night.
Seven hours of Joe Buck is too much for even a lifelong baseball fan to bear. I turned it off after 10 innings.
John Smoltz sounds just like Jim Palmer, who I've been listening to on Orioles' telecasts for many years … Hall of Fame pitchers even SOUND alike :-D
Congrats to Boston Red Sox!!! This was one of the more fun, memorable teams to watch in recent memory...
I enjoyed watching their outfield … great fielders with laser beam throwing arms, who had a great batting approach … their whole team was amazing with two strikes and two outs … an offense that just keeps coming at you.
Fantastic bullpen in the biggest games. And they won 108 games in the regular season, best team in baseball from the get-go.
It was mentioned last night that the Red Sox were a dominant team in the first two decades of the 20th century, and now again in the first two decades of the 21st.
But until 2004, the last championship was 1918. So the bad news for them, if the pattern holds, is no more World Series championships for them until the 2100's!
Well, the Yankees have not won a WS during a Republican presidential administration since 1958 (Eisenhower) … and that pattern is still holding. 1961 and 1962 (JFK) … 1977 and 1978 (that Jimmy guy) ...1996, 98, 99 and 2000 (Bubba Clinton) … 2009 (Obama) were the most recent Yankees' series titles.
You wanna say the Yankees dominated during the Republican 1920s, OK, but I don't want to see another Great Depression in 2029!
An example that patterns have staying power but don't last forever … in 1952 and 56, the American League won the series and the GOP won the White House … in 1960 and 64, it was the NL and the Democrats … 1968 and 72 the AL and GOP … 1976 the NL and the Democrats. It ended in 1980 when the Phillies won the series and Reagan won the White House.
Yup, the crappy fans are only in Philly, right? SMH
https://www.12up.com/posts/6211184-red-sox-fans-damage-world-series-trophy-by-randomly-throwing-beer-cans/partners/41091?fbclid=IwAR3mCd_TruYCnzWkaa8IuF_t74_BLLTnBcv64-w09MsHzpNdUZT7-9m8fT0
No, no, stupidity isn’t exclusive to Philly, they just have the worst and most of them.
Metsman - What? Hadn't heard that one. How can you intentionally puke on someone? What am I missing here? LOL
So not true Roywhite. Red Sox fans are really bad. Ever go to a game at Fenway?
Yeah, been to Boston, Balt, Philly and wore my Yanks gear with no problem, Philly fans even offered me some bbq while tailgating pregame. Only prob I’ve had, at over 400 sport events was rooting for NYR in NJ but they backed down once I gave it back.
As to Philly, you know they would lose a worst fan poll every time.
A legend for sure! RIP Willie!
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25138329/willie-mccovey-san-francisco-giants-legend-dies-80
I remember the near-World Series winning hit in 1962, mentioned in the article. Maybe just arriving home from school? Not sure. That's how I managed to see Mazeroski's home run in 1960. All day games back then.
Metsman - No wonder I didn't recall the story. It's from 8 years ago. Pretty nasty though.
I remember an obnoxious Yankee fan who showed up in Baltimore … appeared to be very drunk, kept repeating "you guys are in rough shape" until the O's lit up the bullpen for a 5-spot. Then he started naming guys in the majors who came from NY and NJ … and he goes "so who's Baltimore got?" I spoke up, said, "ever heard of BABE RUTH? Al Kaline?".. and then just for laughs, "Ron Swoboda?"
Back then, people knew who Ron Swoboda was, he made a great World Series catch, his 15 minutes of fame.
Jacob deGrom wins the 2018 National League Cy Young Award ! YESSSS ! Not many wins because of lousy run support , but all the times he pitched with zero outs and the bases loaded and somehow managed to get out of it with no runs scored ? I've never seen anything like it ! CONGRATULATIONS Jacob deGrom !
I was just talking with Ron S. recently at the Independence fire house. Really nice guy to talk baseball with!
They can't right now; deGrom doesn't have an agent! He said today that he hasn't selected one yet since his left to become the Mets GM.
Liked the interview Jacob gave on SNY … came across as a humble, gracious and likeable fellow … used former pitchers as role models … very few of today's players appreciate those who came before :-D
The Mets are in discussions with Seattle to take on 36 year old Robbie Cano , with 5 years left on his huge contract , just to get their 24 year old closer Diaz . The Mets would throw in prospects and possibly second baseman Jeff McNeil with Seattle paying 50 million of Cano's contract . Stupid move on the Mets' part if true as a young closer hasn't proven what he is going to be yet and Cano is just another Alomar/Baerga with no DH to put him on when he can't play in the field . Hopefully it doesn't happen and the media is making a big deal out of some discussions that lead nowhere .
He's got some Cespedes and Harper and Machado mixed in as far as the basepaths go. just a horrible idea for the Mets to take him.
Hasn't proven what he's going to be yet.... Have you seen his numbers?! Diaz led MLB in saves with 57 and had 34 the year before. Jay Bruce is supposed to be part of this deal as well. They need to get rid of him. Cano hasn't shown he's slowed down with the bat. He'd have hit over .300 and 20HR and 100RBI had he not been suspended. He's already proven he's a NY type player. You mean to tell me you wouldn't take that production? LMAO... Sure maybe the last couple of years he'll be less productive, but the guy has been a model of consistency at the plate. And if the price tag is only $70 mil for the Mets, that's not bad. Who cares about base paths if he's driving in runs... SMH.... WTF do you want, a bunch of base stealers....
And then you complain about Jeff McNeil when he has 225 major league at bats as if he's the next Robbie Alomar... LOL....
36 years old + recent drug suspension= rapid decline in most instances...
Let's see how he does off the furosemide, and whatever he took it for to pee it all out, lol...
Who complained about McNeil? He's appears to be a good young player.
There's a difference between a team of base stealers and guys that won't even run all of the way to first on grounders and pop-ups such as Harper.
According to Cano he took Furosemide for a medical ailment. It can treat fluid retention (edema) and swelling caused by congestive heart failure, liver disease, kidney disease, and other medical conditions such as high blood pressure. So really you can't necessarily say he's lying about it. He's been in the league for several years and been subjected to testing which came back clean. I guess it's a wait and see whether his production significantly drops. Still, I'm not going to cry over Jeff McNeil and Jay Bruce to get Cano and Diaz. Diaz has filthy stuff.
First of all Jay Bruce isn't a part of the deal , that's just a fan rumor as the Mariners are looking to shed payroll and wouldn't pay 50 million of the Cano contract and take on Bruce's contract too . The players mentioned are number one Mets' draft picks OF Jarred Kelenic(2018) and RHP Justin Dunn(2016) as well as McNeil (who said he can play third or outfield if asked to do so) . Second of all Cano has lost range and would have to learn the pitching of an entire new league if he can play without the drugs . It would be a disaster and they'd be lucky to get 2 good years out of him even if he worked out .
As far as Diaz goes two years is a very small sample size . Familia looked pretty unhittable after two years too and look what happened to him . And after taking on the contract of Cano the Wilponzis won't spend much if anymore at all on all the other holes on the team . If they want a closer go out and get a free agent closer and stop messing around with has-been druggie geriatric second basemen !
Ken Rosenthal is reporting Bruce is in the potential deal. McNeil you don't know what he'll turn into yet. Pitchers will adjust to him. That will be what shows whether he's here to stay. The Mets hottest prospect is Peter Alonso. So a lineup of Nimmo, Conforto, Cano, Cespedes, Frazier, Alonso, hopefully a better catcher, Rosario is looking pretty good if everyone is healthy. Diaz has been around for 3 seasons. His career is off to a better start than Familia's. His career stats are a 2.64 ERA in 191 IP with over 100 saves. What more of a sample size do you want...
So Alonso who hasn't played one inning in MLB is automatically better than McNeil who has proven to be capable of hitting pitching at all levels ? Mike Francesa says his sources say no talk about Jay Bruce being included in the trade and he is in pretty tight with Mets head scout Omar Minaya . You could also say the Mets didn't know what they had in Justin Turner , Daniel Murphy , or Jeff Kent . McNeil hit .368 in triple A and continued to hit over .300 in the majors , not a lot of HRs , but second base isn't traditionally a power position .
Keep in mind the Mariners contacted both the Yankees and Mets about trading Cano because they are desperate to get rid of him .The Yankees wanted nothing to do with him .The Mariners were dumb to give him a ten year contract in the first place and the Mets would be even dumber to take on the last half of it in his declining years in a league with no DH . Especially on an old PED using cheater ! It's laughable even mentioning Cespedes . He got his money and will probably never play for the Mets again - at least not an entire season .
Mike Francesa is a clown.... Andy Martino tweeted out that the deal is McNeil, Kelenic, Dunn, Swarzak, and Bruce for Cano and Diaz. Who cares about Bruce and Swarzak. The Mets don't need a .220 hitter who hit only 9HR.
Yes I see more potential with Alonso. His exit velocity is off the charts. He hit one ball off the bat at 116mph. His average was 92.5. Jeff McNeil's average was 85.2. Alonso is doing what Judge and Stanton are doing as far as that statistic goes. My son went to a showcase this Fall and that is one of the statistics they look at in college and the pros. Oh and McNeil hit .337 at AAA before being called up. You added 30 points.
NY is a tough place to play. Who knows if Jeff Kent or Justin Turner would be those players if they stayed. Plus Turner had no position with Murphy and Wright on the infield. So far Cano's contract was worth every penny.
Why would the Yankees go after Cano? They have a solid player at 2B and a powerhouse lineup. You're right it's a risk he could be bad, but based on the numbers it doesn't look like it. He can handle NY as well. You act as if he's shown his days of being a great hitter are over. And his defensive WAR was .3 this past season. He's not a liability in the field. He got caught once after how many tests in his career. We don't know that he's cheated his whole career. Maybe he had a nagging ache that he took HGH for to heal. Who the hell knows. It's not like he puts up crazy numbers like Barry Bonds did while he was juicing.
Also go look at Diaz on YouTube. His stuff is nasty.
https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/mets-trade-for-robinson-cano-edwin-diaz-nearing-finish-line/301254660
Now McNeil may be out of the deal which is good. They can try to unload Frazier and move him to 3rd if the deal happens.
Yes they do. They measured my son at the showcase in Maryland, he hit 89 off of the tee with a wood bat, ran a 6.8 60 yard, and threw out a guy at third and another guy at home from center field. Plus he went 3 for 4 with a double, triple, single and a long fly out. For some reason, the colleges care more about the 60 time than the pro scouts do, at least for center fielders.
That’s pretty good with wood. The one my son went to in NY he had the highest exit velocity at the event with 96mph off the tee with a BBCOR. That probably translates to low 90s with wood. His best exit velocities in games off batted balls are around 103mph. His 60 was a 7.05 so he projects as a corner outfielder. His name is out there for the 2019 MLB draft. He filled out some online info and a player profile card for an MLB team, so hopefully he does big things in the Spring. If he gets drafted he'd be the 3rd Hackettstown player in history to do so. Doug Blake in 1968 and Cole Kimball in 2006.
Well Metsman it looks like the trade is going to happen barring any failed physicals . If they dump Bruce and Swarzak and can keep McNeil it makes much more sense . I wouldn't fall in love with Alonso until he proves he can play some decent defense . In fact I think that's why he wasn't a September call up - a possible trade chip whose defense(or lack thereof) they didn't want to expose in the bigs . Supposedly he's a Lucas Duda (excellent exit velo) clone . Forget Harvey or Familia , if clumsy Duda makes a simple basic throw to home plate the Mets win game 5 in the 2015 WS taking the series to 3-2 and possibly swinging the momentum in the Mets direction !
I think the Mariners are throwing in half of Canos contract and taking on Bruce and Swarzaks contracts. Yea it sucks giving up Kelenic, but you get one of the best closers in baseball and Cano will be fine I think. Mets would be paying him $12 million a year. Diaz is still cheap.
Alonso is a righty. Duda was crazy streaky as a lefty. And if you look at Dudas minor league numbers, he never hit for any kind of average. Alonso looks more consistent. I think he’ll be a 30 homerun guy. I guess it’s a wait and see with his defense. Duda was pretty bad.
Wilmer Flores let go , but not Travis d'Naud . Enough with d'Naud - a singles hitter who couldn't throw out his own grandmother stealing second base !
https://nypost.com/2018/11/30/mets-choose-not-to-tender-fan-favorite-wilmer-flores/
It's hard to understand why they keep Travis around. Any of us that have watched our kids or others in college and summer league games have seen better catchers - out of all of the college, independent league etc teams, he's the best that they can find? His arm strength, footwork and pop time are horrible, and he's injury prone.
When the Orioles have fielded playoff teams they've always had reliable shortstops … what would the Mets want in return for Rosario (or is he untouchable) … the O's have new front office leadership and may want to deal.
I see Cincinnati claimed a Mets outfield prospect (Jordan Patterson) off waivers … looks like Cincy is seeking outfield depth anywhere they can get it cheaply … could be a great opportunity there for a youngster who can play.
RV I think Todd Hundley was the last catcher they had that could throw runners out. So it's been 20 years or so.
Devin Mesoraco was a decent defensive catcher(once hit 24 HRs in 2014) . He was supposed to be injury prone , but pretty much was an ironman most of his time here . They are supposed to be going after a catcher , I'd take Mesoraco over d'Naud and Plawecki as the back up catcher . deGrom wins the Cy Young and Wheeler turned it around the second half of the season and nobody mentions Mesoraco's part in those accomplishments . I've seen enough of players like d'Naud and Lagares who are always hurt and out of the lineup well before the all star game .
https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/edwin-diaz-and-robinson-cano-trade-to-mets-is-done-pending-physicals/301352732
Well it's official. I like the deal. Doesn't look like dealing is done. They're looking around at catchers and may look to bring in Cory Kluber. So that probably means Thor is on his way out. They can restock the farm with him.
Robby Cano, don't you know? One of my Trenton Thunder favorites, right up there with Tony "Out of the Park" Clark, No-mar, and "Pork Chop" (big Double-A slugger who never made it in the bigs :-D
What is Seattle up to? Now the Phillies get themselves an All-Star to play shortstop. The Mariners didn't want Chris Davis? LOL :-) At least he's a better glove than Santana.
Commenting is no longer available.