SinceThe70s

Thanks. Probably the best group of kids and coaches I've been around (in terms of demeanor) since winning started to matter. I'm actually with you on the Mets pitching. Totally agree that's what you build around and I would not give up DeGrom or Syndegaard. The idea that we should trade one or both seems reactionary/impulsive to me. What I agree with is that if you go that route it better be for a kings ransom of proven or semi-proven talent. Funny thing is, even at the Little League level it's all about pitching and setting up the pitchers due to pitch count limits. It's been interesting how our team and other teams have handled that in the playoffs. Both teams left have strong pitchers ineligible to pitch on Saturday.

I'm still not on board but I get the thought process. I'd stick to the plan of building around starting pitching. DeGrom is a stud. A healthy Thor is too. I think Lugo has potential but probably tops out as a #3. I could say the same about Matz and Wheeler but with less optimism.

It's been a disaster for the Mets since the 11-1 start the day before Little League opening day. Meanwhile, my sons team has had a great year. We had two nail-biter playoff wins this week. Last night, we were up 1-0, bottom 6, 2 out, man on 3rd, 1-2 count and they tied on a wild pitch. One freaking strike away...which came on the next pitch. Thought we were sunk (too much drama to detail) but we won 3-1 in the 7th. Championship game Saturday morning. So here's my call: after Saturday when LL is over the Mets will get their early season groove back on! And I'll blame these past 2 months on my son. Love the game. Lets Go Mets!

I'm not in favor of trading DeGrom, but I have to admit Coutinho's comments make sense. And the Yankees would seriously have to overpay for me to watch another ex-Met win a WS in the Bronx. It's messed up how they have the best prospect and major league ready pool when 2-3 years ago they had nothing.

Good stuff. Some added thoughts on each: I hope you didn't copyright Assdribble, because I'm gonna use that and have no intention of paying royalties. Agreed on Conforto, I also wonder whether last year's injury is in the back of his mind. Or maybe he's an every other year player like Saberhagen was way back when. I'll give Sandy a slight pass on the bullpen. Who knew Blevins would be this bad and Swarzak, Ramos and Familia would all get hurt. I'm fine with how he constructed the bullpen, just not fine with how it's played out Not giving up on Calloway just yet, but confidence in him diminishes with each passing day. I can't stomach the thought of trading DeGrom to the Crankees let alone anyone else. But I have to admit that if you're going to do it now's the time and you better get a boatload of value back. Two other Alderson comments: - yesterday Sandy intimated that Reyes is the best option they have for his role with the team. If that's true he must have no respect for the guys at AAA. That was a real head scratcher, Reyes can't field or hit this year. - he also said that when Alonso gets called up to AAA he won't be going back down. Talk about a message sent to Dominic Smith.

A-Gon is gone and Dominic Smith gets another chance. According to the article below Smith has had "a poor year with Las Vegas" and fellow call-up Ty Kelly "has been strong for Las Vegas this year". Slash lines: .260/.343/.370 .262/.340/.450 Kelly has 6 HR's, 29 RBI's, Smith has 2 and 25. So basically 4 good at bats is the difference between poor and strong? https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/adrian-gonzalez-released-mets-1.19119114

Before the game started ESPN was doing the announcer predictions and all 3 came up Yankees. Made sense, right? Mets can't score, Severino is dominating yada yada yada I told my boys that this is the type of game we win, exactly when you don't expect it. That's baseball and a 162 game season. Did I believe it? Um, no....but I didn't not believe it either. Let's Go Mets!

Not projecting my thoughts and feelings on you Augie, but this one hits home for me. I don't think I'm racist, but from time to time I find myself admiring that an athlete is "well spoken". Trouble is it's rarely (if ever) a white person. Why is that? Short answer for me is I accept that I have some generational bias. I have two sons and hopefully my contribution is that it stops with me.

Irony: as I'm watching the game, I'm surfing the web and the local newspaper already has a story up that with Cabrera coming out of the game there's a "window" for Reyes. And he fails to step on 2nd on a routine play. Two dead as I type so maybe we get out of it, but wow has this season been painful to watch since the hot start.

Innocuous off season threads has to be up there.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, still a few innings to go, but with Familia on the DL and Lugo starting, I'm a little surprised to see Gsellman warming up. I wonder what the plan is to close this out.

The inability to own ones mistakes bothers me. Maybe the guy has issues (drugs, mental,..) that explain but not excuse his reaction. I'm skeptical. For many people I think it's much easier to say "Eff you" than it is to say "My bad" .

Globetrotters and Patriots beaters notwithstanding, the Chargers "Air Coryell" teams were fun to watch.

I'm biased towards the Mets voices, especially Keith. He's at his best went he gets annoyed and cranky at bad play. Nice to hear complements about Keith and Ron from an out of market baseball fan. Watching the game tonight, I can't stand ARod. He seems to get a lot of good press so maybe it's me. I think it's his delivery and his rep that I can't get past. Then again I don't like the ESPN Sunday night broadcasts in general so maybe its guilt by association.

Truth be told I was more into Repo Man than ST and had never heard Asleep at the Wheel, so thanks! ???

Strong call. Calloway needs to get himself tossed just for the sake of getting tossed. Not sure he has it in him. Loved those two.

I would too. Great song from the great Repo Man soundtrack. And I was surprised to see Mary Woronov (a B movie staple back in the day) in the video.

14 runs in 3 innings? Talk about taking one for the team. Pitching staff must have been stretched ridiculously thin to leave him in for that long. What a shame to go out like that.

A great Seinfeld moment was Frank Costanza berating Steinbrenner for trading Buhner for Ken Phelps.

Fair enough. Hard to draw the line between poor/good play and poor/good management. But when Matz/Wheeler/Vargas are pitching very well after being suspect and you diminish the quick hooks they got on their way to pitching well you're ignoring the management aspect.....and no, I did not like the quick hooks. We disagree on playing the same lineup day in day out. You've made that point a few times (not just back to back days), but to me that would be a lack of management. I'll go one step further and say that Bruce has played way too much for my taste. Regardless, I'm not sticking up for Calloway. I think he's skating on thin ice. His comments about playing in NY over the weekend were some combination of dumb, naive and ill-advised.

In the 80's I was all in on heavy metal and hard rock. But when I see favorite 80's songs I'm thinking more of the MTV bands and not "Creeping Death". This doesn't quite qualify, 80's band, 1990 song, but a fave of mine: And who can forget:

I remember getting hooked on the first self-titled album, then they lost me on "The Skull" and then the second self-titled album was great. After that I lost track of them. Very Ozzy/Sabbath... a good thing.

Nor should you. That was god-awful IMO ?

I agree with statement 1. I think it's worse due to the strong start...remember when we were talking about .500 the rest of the way gets us near 90 wins? 2 remains to be seen, but if he flames out here he may not get a second chance (see: Willie Randolph). On the other hand, in a different era, Joe Torre was widely considered a bust after being a player/manager for the Mets (and almost traded for Guidry) and ineffective manager for the Braves and Cardinals before he went to the Yankees and perceptions changed. I'm not buying into 3. There's plenty not to like, but every single facet is an over statement IMO. The starting pitching has been outstanding lately despite losing Syndegaard for a week plus. Tell me you saw that coming. And that includes contributions from Matz, Wheeler and....wait for it....Vargas!

7 runs in 6 games. At home. And if I got this right, 1 run in 35 innings. This is bordering on when we had John Mayberry Jr. and his sub .200 batting average in the cleanup spot against Kershaw in 2015.