ExWNYer

I thought it was cool that 'Big Sexy' decided to retire a Met despite his family wanting him to retire with Cleveland. He said the Met fans embraced him more than any other fan base and NY is where he wanted to officially call it quits. Nice feel good story in an otherwise crapfest of a season. I don't have anything against this version of the Reds but I have never liked the Cincinnati baseball team (or the football team for that matter). I hated Pete Rose and 'The Big Red Machine' when I was a kid. I had a friend in high school whose family was from West Virginia and he was a Reds fan...and annoying as hell. lol If the 2023 Reds face any of the Braves, Philthies, or Dodgers in the playoffs then I will pull for them, if only cursorily. I don't see myself watching much of the baseball playoffs this year. I am ready to turn the page thanks to the underperforming NY Mess and I am firmly on to the football season and getting excited for the impending Sabres season.

Only if she breaks her foot off in your arse... (Good luck with the new squeeze)

There are a handful of current Mets who played under him and had nothing but good things to say about him. Narvaez and Vogelbach are the only ones who come to mind at the moment but there a few others, as well. He would often be down on the field watching batting practice as a GM which isn't all that common. Stearns has been perceived as robotic and analytical to outsiders but the players said he was personable and involved. While Milwaukee hasn't won a World Series since he's been there, they have been pretty consistent winners and are about to win their third division title since he got there eight years ago which is something the Mets can't claim. He's done a good job building pitching staffs but not so much developing hitters. As you said, we'll have to wait and see what kind of moves he makes. I'm excited but there are many times I've been excited by something this organization has done only to end up at 'smh'.

And will continually perpetuate the incessant "Bills need a RB" narrative... https://x.com/AlbertBreer/status/1701962110203257010?s=20

RE: Statement 1 - I agree with the bolded comment. My point was more to Gugny's Girardi comment. I think Girardi proved that he is nobody's answer after how he ran the Philthies into the ground and, while I am not advocating for Beltran, I would much rather have him than Girardi. That was my only reason for conjuring his name. And Terry is not giving up that sweet gig to take on the frustrations of the modern day manager, IMO. Anymore Florida sun and he is going to be able to pass for a piece of old Samsonite luggage. 😉 I don't want him either. Thanks for the memories, TC. BTW, I do think Beltran will get a shot with someone either as a manager or an integral part of a front office. He is universally perceived around the game as having a 'baseball mind' and the prevailing thought is that he will do well for someone. That remains to be seen, of course. RE: Statement 2 - I don't know if anyone here has referred to Stearns as "the savior". I certainly have not although I am thrilled that he is onboard. He is a baseball man...he's younger blood, knows scouting and analytics and, like Beltran, is held in high regard in baseball circles. He would have had no lack of suitors had his dream job not opened. I don't think it's entirely fair to bring up Milwaukee's success or lack thereof...they are a small market team with nowhere near the resources of the Mets and their new owner. He was working within constraints that he won't have in New York. This organization has never had a President of Baseball Operations and they are long overdue. If nothing else, Billy Eppler does not get the final say on personnel moves. For me, it's more what Stearns represents and potentially brings to the table. Outside of Frank Cashen, the previous owners and front offices of this club have been largely trash for the entirety of its existence. It's a new era...here's to hoping it's a good era. RE: Statement 3 - I am on record several times as saying that I will not shed a tear or get angry whether they keep Buck or let him go. At the moment my 'Keep or Trash' meter is closer to 'Trash' but I am lukewarm either way. Perhaps it's closer to 'Trash' just for the intrigue of, "Ooooh, something new!" Keeping Buck or firing him does not really move the needle for me either way. It's all "meh" to me. Getting the right players going forward...that's what moves the needle for me.

@Gugny @SinceThe70s @Another Fan Whaaaaaaaat? A trade that finally worked out in the Mets' favor? Did Stearns hold an exorcism or did Cohen pay off the baseball gods? "Max Scherzer injury update: Rangers pitcher out for rest of regular season, 'unlikely' to pitch in playoffs" https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/max-scherzer-injury-update-rangers-pitcher-out-for-rest-of-regular-season-unlikely-to-pitch-in-playoffs/

I get your point about Beltran and don't entirely disagree with it but I would take him 10 times out of 10 over Girardi who has proven to eventually grate on his players' nerves and turn them off while they tune him out. He ran that pennant winning Philthies team into the ground with his iron-fisted approach. He knows baseball, for sure, but he's more drill sergeant and meathead than a modern day manager, IMO. Whatever Stearns decides, I'm onboard (even if it's Girardi) until Stearns demonstrates that he is clueless, which I don't think will happen. Like I said before, I believe they will give Buck one more year while Stearns gets the lay of the land unless he comes in like Jerruh Jones did when old plastic face purchased the Lone Star Gauchos. Maybe I'm wrong and Stearns will actually make some significant, wholesale changes. Like I said, I'm down with whatever his starting plan is. He gets my wholehearted benefit of the doubt starting day one.

That's part of it, IMO. And game management/strategy really has changed drastically. It's very much analytics driven vs 'gut feel' of the 'baseball lifer' manager. I like Terry but he is living in Florida golfing constantly and working on his tan. He makes appearances on 'BNNY'/SNY via Zoom. I think it would take a lot to coax him out of retirement. He's got the best of both worlds right now. Like Gugs, I wouldn't hate it but I'd prefer to look forward rather than backwards...and that's coming from the old guy in this little clatch of ours. I'm way younger in appearance and thinking than my years. lol (Also, I think Buck gets one more year to turn it around) I'd be good with giving Carlos Beltran another shot (enough time has passed and enough 'stink' has dissipated, IMO). Ultimately, we'll see what Stearns wants to do going forward. He is genuinely the first Met front office hire I have ever been this excited/hopeful about bringing into the organization. LFGM!

@Gugny @SinceThe70s @Another Fan Rejoice, fellas! It's happening... https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/09/12/mets-david-stearns-steve-cohen-new-era/ https://www.mlb.com/news/david-stearns-mets-president-of-baseball-operations

Thanks to all of you who have shared your memories of 9/11. I got chills reading many of them, especially @sherpa I had been working at a government agency exactly a month to the day of 9/11 (transferred from a different agency). I was settling in for a class with the 22 other people hired into this program. One of my classmates came in and said, "A plane just flew into one of the Twin Towers...they don't know yet if it was an accident or intentional." We all got up and scrambled from this building back to the trailers where we were temporarily housed because there was a TV there. We watched in disbelief and then saw the second strike. Everyone was stunned and somber. Our instructors decided at that point to just send us all home for the day. As I drove home and found out as I listened on the radio that it was a suspected act of terrorism, I remember thinking to myself, "What kind of world are we leaving to our children?" At the time, my now 23 year old son was a mere 18 months old and I feared for him and his future. Once home, I went out and purchased two American flag magnets to affix to my car and my wife's car, then watched coverage nonstop like most everyone else and it felt like I was living a weird and scary dream from which I could not wake up. The next day as I arrived at work, there were all kinds of armed military and agency police at the gates. We were instructed to park in the open fields near the warehouses and we were bussed to our buildings where Jersey barriers had been set up everywhere. Nobody was allowed to drive or park anywhere near the buildings. It was surreal. A mere month later, we were all on a plane to Columbus, OH for a two week training stay. Needless to say, I was nervous flying for the first time since the day of those tragic events and I don't get nervous or anxious when flying. Hard to believe it's been twenty-two years since it all happened. Seems like yesterday. BTW, three days prior I had been up in Manassas, VA with my brother for a Jimmy Buffett concert at Nissan Pavilion (RIP, JB ). We partied our arses off not knowing that our lives...and everyone else's...would be changed forever. God bless those who lost loved ones and those brave men and women who worked selflessly to save others, many of whom ended up paying the ultimate sacrifice themselves. Never Forget. Go Bills!

Happy Birthday (you're old enough to get this reference).

(With hands to throat) "Hey, Raaaaaaaaaaaaaah-juhs! Discount double-choke!"

You're about to get an earful from @GunnerBill. 😂

Wow, just awful. RIP.

I don't believe that Pornhub is a message board... So you really have been letting your freak flag fly all this time. Football season takes forever to come back around and is over in the blink of an eye. Let's enjoy the ride. GO BILLS!!!

His grandpa was great. 🤩

Yes, I believe it was 117.3 mph. Baty & Alvarez also had base knocks. Good night for the 'Baby Mets'. I knew #1...actually watched his debut on TV. I didn't know #2 and #3. Very cool.

It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out but, of the three, my gut tells me that Vientos is the most likely to be used as a trade chip at some point. The Mets drive me crazy with the way they constantly try to force square pegs into round holes. In a perfect world, Mauricio would settle in at 2B, Baty would develop as a decent 3B and McNeil would float and play LF/2B/Utility. I don't have an issue with trying Baty in the outfield. I believe he has played there before but has just gotten more time at 3B. If they want him in LF, he needs to start working immediately once the season ends. Honestly, the more versatile he can be, the better chance of contributing he will have. I think his defense this year took a mental toll on his batting average. LF if a lot easier to play 'decently' than 3B is.

@Another Fan Stewart has been a fun follow the last several weeks. Every time I see he's hit another I say, "WTF?" 😁 I was out last night and tuned in on the car radio on my way home. It was the top of the 8th and the Mets were up, 3-2, when Ottavino plunked a batter to tie it and then allowed the go ahead hit. Nope...not gonna do this to myself <click>. Off went the radio. When I got home I checked my phone and said, "Let's see how badly they lost" and saw that it was now 5-5 going to the top of the 9th. "Hmmmm, okay...I'll watch the end of this." Put the game on the TV in the top of the 9th and watched to its conclusion. When Texas loaded the bases in the top of the 10th with no outs, I just knew it was over but, much to my surprise, Brigham wriggled off the hook unscathed. Then the Metropolitans loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 10th and were promptly gifted two walks and a hit batter by Dumbassis Chapman to win it. That was a very unexpected and entertaining finish. BTW, Ronny Mauricio is finally being called up to the big club. He will be at Citi-Field on Friday for the start of the series with the Mariners. I'm anxious to see what this kid can do. Let's just hope that Buck doesn't glue RM's butt to the bench. If he's going to be a fixture next year, he's going to need to find a position whether that's 2B or 3B. It would be logical to me to try and develop him at 3B and convert Baty to LF. Baty will need to really find himself by next Spring Training or he'll either find himself back at Syracuse or part of a trade package.

Does @Gugny know?

I'm not advocating any trades but the CB attrition around the league has already started. FWIW, Denver just lost their starting nickel, K'Waun Williams, indefinitely.

I agree 100% Benford won the job, IMO. He's not going anywhere.

Let me be clear on Verlander. I do not hate him and maybe 'underachieving' was the wrong choice of words on my part. If only one of Scherzer and Verlander had to go then I was 100% for shipping the former. Cutting ties with Verlander represents a bigger picture thing for me akin to hitting the 'Reset' button. Sweep out the old, even if they are still effective, and take it in a new direction with a forward thinking philosophy. They weren't winning anything with the 40 year old Verlander and he'll only be another year older next season when this team is more than likely still retooling. What's the point? They'd probably end up shipping him at the deadline in 2024 anyway and at least at this point, they have prospects already getting acclimated to their system. Trading Verlander was a no-brainer, IMO. I realize that's not necessarily the popular view but one I stand by nonetheless. Buck...'nuff said. EEEEEEEEEEEE-NUN-CIATE, please! LGM!

- Vogelbach: He can't be on this team next year. He just can't. He's a slow, positionless player who can only DH against RHPs. That is the definition of a wasted roster spot. Thanks for the memories, Vogey. Don't let the door hit you on the way out and leave some donuts for your teammates. -Verlander: I know that none of you agree with me...and that's fine...but I'm glad he's gone. Just another in a long line of disappointing, overpaid, underachieving Met free agent acquisitions. I'm sick of 35+ year old past-their-prime acquisitions. 40 year old pitchers should not be the cornerstone/ace of the pitching staff. Your assessment of giving "the appearance of fielding a competitive team" in NYC is one that is perpetuated in large part by the media of the 'Big Apple', IMO. Part of the reason the Mets will likely never have a perpetual winner and robust farm system is the "big city mentality" of half-assing it. Too afraid to tear it down to the studs and build it right so as not to piss off their fans so they try to repair their gunshot wounds with band-aids. Rinse and repeat and here we are 62 years into a franchise that has two World Series titles to its name...the first 54 years ago and the latest 37 years ago. FYI...to be clear, I was not taking a shot at you. I'm just expressing my own frustration at the "you can't do a complete rebuild in NY" mantra. It's a big reason why this franchise is usually in some form of perpetual suck, IMO. Take the short-term hit and do it right. - Buck: The rose is definitely off the bloom in my eyes. I would be okay if they kept him and okay if they fired him. I would not be upset either way. If he is gone, I would relish not having to listen to his mumbling, 'low-talking' indirectly into the microphone style. It's maddening to have to crank up the TV and try to decipher his pressers. Open your mouth and speak clearly...and audibly...in to mic. After all, you are in fugging NY, Buck.

So sorry for the loss of your dear friend and fellow Bills fan. Hang in there.