A Reductionist’s View Of The 2009 New York Mets
The season hurt less than the previous two… by far! :-)
The owners don’t cheap out. The Wilpons have no trouble spending money.
Jeff Nelson, Woild Serious Factor
Who is Jeff Nelson? Thanks for asking.
He’s a baseball umpire with a “small strikezone,” working behind the plate [chosen to work behind the plate] in game 2 of the 2009 World Series.
Of course the strikezone should be the same for every umpire, and when an individual umpire’s calls are consistently inconsistent, he should be repromanded. Maybe fined demoted, suspended, or fired… NOT GIVEN A PLUM ASSIGNMENT, BUD SELIG.
“Christ, the Commish is a moron,” you may thinking.
Wrong!!… at least in this instance.
MLB is deliberately not standardizing umpiring. Why? Because who’s umping behind the plate becomes a factor in prognosticating the odds and probabilities of any given game.
Baseball, by doing everything possible to draw interest in itself through gambling… both legal [Fantasy/Roto] and illegal. They know that betting is right up there with apple pie, in the hearts of we ‘mericans. Want proof? Check out the the NFL.
Larry Jansen, Former New York Giants Pitcher, RIP
Not only was Larry Jansen the winning pitcher in the famous ” Shot Hoid ‘Round Da Woild” game in 1951 [brought to you by Scottsman's Productions, in association with Russ Hodges], but he was Alvin Dark’s pitching coach on the 1962 Giants. The team had, five years earlier, carpetbagged out west and no longer represented New York by then… but I digress.
I was saddened to read of his passing, at the age of 89, today.
By all accounts, Mr. Jansen was a terrific teammate and a fine man.
My deepest condolences to his friends and family.
2010 Baseball Free Agents Whom Mets May Consider
1B
Hank Blalock (Age: 29)
Adam LaRoche (30)
2B
Orlando Hudson (32)
Felipe Lopez (30)
LF
Jason Bay (31)
Matt Holliday (30)
CF (Back-up OF)
Endy Chavez (32)
SP
Justin Duchscherer (32)
Rich Harden (28)
John Lackey (31)
Jason Marquis (31)
Ben Sheets (31)
For my money they should start with Endy, whom they should never allowed to leave, in the first place…
Tejada Takes Triple Crown…
… in dispicability.
After being named in the Mitchell Report and admitting to having lied to Congress [aren't they supposed to be the liers?], long time Major League shortstop Miquel Tejada has been accused of completing a unique trifecta. According to an article by Barry Bloom [a terrific, former Sacramento Union sportswriter] back when Tejada was an Oakland Athletic he alledgedly tipped pitches to fellow Dominican opponents. Same Miggy that falsafied his birth certificate.
Hmmmmmmmmmm… I’m beginning to see a pattern here. It just may be that Miggy [not Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens] may end up the “poster boy” for it all…
Here he is, ladies and gentiles, pictured bellow:
Davey Williams…
… the former New York Giant’s terrific fielding 2nd baseman, who played on the 1954 World Series champions, passed away at the age of 81. RIP, Davey.
Here’s a picture of Davey [taken in 1951]…
… and his Topps baseball card from 1951:
Here’s a list, thanks to Gary Brown, of the remaining alumni of this once proud franchise:
Tommy Henrich- 2/26/1910 (Coach 1957)
Lonny Frey- 8/23/1910 (1948)
Monte Irvin- 2/25/1919 (1949-1955)
Buddy Blattner-2/8/1920 (1946-1948)
Larry Jansen- 7/16/1920 (1947-1954; Coach 1954)
Artie Wilson- 10/28/1920 (1951)
Charlie Mead- 4/29/1921 (1943-1945)
Les Layton- 11/18/1921 (1948)
Alvin Dark- 1/7/1922 (1950-1956)
Gil Coan- 5/18/1922 (1955)
Clint Hartung- 8/10/1922 (1947-1952)
Hub Andrews- 8/31/1922 (1947-1948)
Red Schoendienst- 2/2/1923 (1956-1957)
Chuck Diering- 2/5/1923 (1952)
Bobby Thomson- 10/25/1923 (1946-1953; 1957)
Hal Bamberger- 10/29/1924 (1948)
Wayne Terwilliger- 6/27/1925 (1955-1956)
Windy McCall- 7/18/1925 (1954-1957)
Joe Garagiola-2/12/1926 (1954)
Harvey Gentry- 5/27/1926 (1954)
Mario Picone- 7/5/1926 (1947, 1952, 1954)
George Spencer- 7/7/1926 (1950-1955)
Rudy Rufer- 10/28/1926 (1949-1950)
Don Mueller- 4/14/1927 (1948-1957)
Jack Harshman- 7/12/1927 (1952)
Billy Gardner- 7/19/1927 (1954-1955)
Stu Miller- 12/26/1927- (1957)
Valmy Thomas- 10/21/1928 (1957)
Al Worthington- 2/5/1929 (1953- 1954;1956-1957)
Daryl Spencer- 7/13/1929 (1952-1953; 1956-1957)
Bill Taylor-12/30/1929 (1954-1957)
Joe Margoneri- 1/13/1930 (1956-1957)
Ron Samford- 2/28/1930 (1954)
Johnny Antonelli-4/12/1930 (1954-1957)
Pete Burnside-7/2/1930 (1955, 1957)
Foster Castleman- 1/1/1931 (1954-1957)
Willie Mays- 5/6/1931-(1951-1952; 1954-1957)
Ray Crone- 8/7/1931 (1957)
Gail Harris- 10/15/1931 (1955-1957)
Ed Bressoud- 5/2/1932 (1956-1957)
Ozzie Virgil,Sr.- 5/17/1933 (1956-1957)
Roy Wright- 9/26/1933 (1956)
Joe Amalfitano- 1/23/1934 (1954-1955)
Bill White-1/28/1934 (1956)
Jackie Brandt- 4/28/1934 (1956)
Mike McCormick-9/29/1938 (1956-1957)
Jason Giambi Cut By A’s
A pox on him and those who turned the game into nothing more than a joke.
All of this under the reign of Pud Selig, I might add. [I may later subtract, and long division is a possibility some day. No promises.]
Pete Rose Bet On Steroids
WZIG in Alameda is reporting that former baseball star Pete Rose alledgedly bet on the effects of steroids on current baseball players. Since we Fantasy League players have been doing this forfever, MLB Commisioner Pud Selig isn’t expected to add any years to Pete’s lifetime suspention from baseball.
Here’s Pete, doing his best “Jack.”
Two Cities, Two Games…Two Happy Fans
Last week my friend Andrew Dosa and I set out for our annual baseball trip. First a day game in Oakland…
… followed by a night game in Modesto for some great minor league ball. We watched futrue Texas Ranger Ryan Tatusko take a no-hitter into the ninth, only to have it broken up. His terrific effort earned him a one-hit shutout.
A’s Add Scott Hairston, 3rd Generation Major Leaguer
Only Bob Boone, Gus Bell, and Sam Hairston produced both sons and grandsons who played in the Major Leagues. Quite an accomplishment. Boone and Bell were well known stars of the ’50s.
Little known catcher, Sam Hairston came up with the White Sox in 1951 and had the misfortune of joining them at the same time Sherm Lollar [former Yankee] was settling in as the regular backstop. Consequently he spent the remainder of his carreer as a minor leaguer, where he starred for Colorado Springs. Later, as a scout, he signed his son Jerry whose brother John [the first 2nd. generation black to make the majors], proceeded him to the Bigs for “a cup of coffee” with the Cubs.
Jerry’s son, Jerry Jr. proceeded Scott to the majors.
Pictured bellow is Sam, Jerry Sr., Jerry Jr., and Scott Hairston. [I contiue to search for an image of John.]
