Mets 2024 Season

[Beasts of the East]

The mets have lost some players before from nineteen sixty nine... Somewhat older like ed charles and don cardwell. Some key guys, like agee died very young. Seaver and Harrelson prematurely to Altzheimers. This one was a guy who came to us young who died of age related illness. Very good catcher. Tough as nails.

As a young player, Bob friend shook him off 3 or 4 times in a row so Grote went out angrily to ask him what's up. Friend, a journeyman aged starter didn't want some scrub calling pitches. He decked Grote with a shot to the face. Clown show.

Soon enough real pitchers arrived in droves. Seaver, Ryan, then Koosman. Gentry, McGraw, Matlack, McAndrew and more. All benefitted from Grote's deft game calling, defense, strong accurate arm, framing pitches. Maybe as much as anyone respondible for the Mets great pitching. He could hit a little too but he wasn't in the lineup for that.

Years later, in an era where everyone throws 95mph, he said he didn't care about radar guns, no one threw harder than Ryan.

Bench gave him the ultimate compliment, that Grote was a better catcher than himself.

Okay Gil. Now you got a catcher, picher, centerfielder and ss. Your teams were always strong up the middle. Let's play two.

 

[Marillac2]

The positives…

-Baty looks very good although it’s still extremely early

-The pitching is above average and deep

-Plenty of young arms in the minors to supplement the backend of the rotation later in the year

-Alvarez looks like a stud and could be an all-star by next year…likely some growing pains left this year

-JD Martinez should provide a huge boost and lengthen the lineup

The negatives are more evident so no need sharing

 

[dk423]

I hate the third Wild Card, but we're the type of team that can sneak in if we stay around/over .500 heading into August.

 

[BrooklynRed]

It is time for someone (Boras?) to kick the Polar Bear in the arse and tell him hiberbation is OVER. Pete is off to his WORST start ever and he is in his walk year and if he keeps this up Cohen will say don't let th door hit you in the "arse" and what team would be willing to invest in a long term deal with numbers like this.

 

[paultzman]

 

[bamafan]

They were the Miracle Mets in 1969 but their was something magical about the 1986 Mets.

 

[gman]

I’m glad Nimmo and McNeil are getting it together. It’s Lindor’s turn. They still play like the typical Mets stranding RISP.

The roster does feel decent. I could see us on the bubble around the trade deadline and add a couple pieces. Equally I could see us on the wrong side of the bubble and selling vets again to aid the youth movement. We will find out. Hopefully in the meantime they play entertaining enough games to watch.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Doc Gooden's career numbers are so much better than I thought. Essentially done by 1991 he was still 194-112 3.51 ERA.

Dwight Gooden Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Dwight Gooden. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Career and life derailed by drugs and alcohol. It's hard to imagine just how great he would have been from age 27-40. 300 wins could have been a low bar.

Just think that the Mets sent Kevin Mitchell packing thinking he was the bad influence.

Still a great day for Dwight to be in the spotlight.

 

[MainMan]

I’m glad Nimmo and McNeil are getting it together. It’s Lindor’s turn. They still play like the typical Mets stranding RISP.

The roster does feel decent. I could see us on the bubble around the trade deadline and add a couple pieces. Equally I could see us on the wrong side of the bubble and selling vets again to aid the youth movement. We will find out. Hopefully in the meantime they play entertaining enough games to watch.

We've begun to win series after that horrific start. We'll see if it's fools gold or something promising over the next month.

 

[kranmars]

Doc Gooden's career numbers are so much better than I thought. Essentially done by 1991 he was still 194-112 3.51 ERA.

Dwight Gooden Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Dwight Gooden. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Career and life derailed by drugs and alcohol. It's hard to imagine just how great he would have been from age 27-40. 300 wins could have been a low bar.

Just think that the Mets sent Kevin Mitchell packing thinking he was the bad influence.

Still a great day for Dwight to be in the spotlight.

What could have been. Sandy Koufax attended Mets spring training often (because as we were told thousands of times by the Fred Wilpon, they were teammates on the Lafayette HS baseball team) and he once famously said after watching Gooden pitch, “I rather have his future, than my past.”

The Mets really screwed up blaming Mitchell and trading him. He had great years with SF, while Gooden still had his addition.

As an aside, Gary Carter used to talk to Gooden (and Strawberry) because Carter was the one who never partied and went home to his family after games. Yet, Carter was the one who died early.

They still talk about how unfair life can be when someone who lived an exemplary life dies young, while the ones who often cheated life are still around.

Anyway, good to see Gooden is living a clean life now.

 

[MainMan]

What could have been. Sandy Koufax attended Mets spring training often (because as we were told thousands of times by the Fred Wilpon, they were teammates on the Lafayette HS baseball team) and he once famously said after watching Gooden pitch, “I rather have his future, than my past.”

The Mets really screwed up blaming Mitchell and trading him. He had great years with SF, while Gooden still had his addition.

As an aside, Gary Carter used to talk to Gooden (and Strawberry) because Carter was the one who never partied and went home to his family after games. Yet, Carter was the one who died early.

They still talk about how unfair life can be when someone who lived an exemplary life dies young, while the ones who often cheated life are still around.

Anyway, good to see Gooden is living a clean life now.

Always wondered what would have happened if Doc had something akin to an intervention at a young age similar to what happened to Chris Mullin.... where the Mets paused his career and sent him away to a rehab facility. Of course, it would have taken a lot more work to keep himself clean, to adopt a less destructive lifestyle and better daily habits.

As for Mitchell, he was a complete scapegoat. He was rough around the edges but, by all accounts, he wasn't a drug user. Guys like Lenny Dykstra on the other hand.....

 

[Spocky Ramone]

We've begun to win series after that horrific start. We'll see if it's typical Mets or something promising over the next month.

Fixed it for ya!

 

[logen]

Always wondered what would have happened if Doc had something akin to an intervention at a young age similar to what happened to Chris Mullin.... where the Mets paused his career and sent him away to a rehab facility. Of course, it would have taken a lot more work to keep himself clean, to adopt a less destructive lifestyle and better daily habits.

As for Mitchell, he was a complete scapegoat. He was rough around the edges but, by all accounts, he wasn't a drug user. Guys like Lenny Dykstra on the other hand.....

I have shared this story before; during the Astros playoff series, my wife, her mother and aunt, both elderly, were in a fender to fender, about 8 car accident on Harlem River Drive. Kevin Mitchell was driving a car, not involved, that stopped and he walked car to car, asking if anyone was hurt. He saw how upset my mother-in- law and her sister were and stayed with them, small talking until the police arrived. The two ladies never forgot the kindness and understanding he provided.

 

[kranmars]

I have shared this story before; during the Astros playoff series, my wife, her mother and aunt, both elderly, were in a fender to fender, about 8 car accident on Harlem River Drive. Kevin Mitchell was driving a car, not involved, that stopped and he walked car to car, asking if anyone was hurt. He saw how upset my mother-in- law and her sister were and stayed with them, small talking until the police arrived. The two ladies never forgot the kindness and understanding he provided.

Great story.

 

[Beasts of the East]

What could have been. Sandy Koufax attended Mets spring training often (because as we were told thousands of times by the Fred Wilpon, they were teammates on the Lafayette HS baseball team) and he once famously said after watching Gooden pitch, “I rather have his future, than my past.”

The Mets really screwed up blaming Mitchell and trading him. He had great years with SF, while Gooden still had his addition.

As an aside, Gary Carter used to talk to Gooden (and Strawberry) because Carter was the one who never partied and went home to his family after games. Yet, Carter was the one who died early.

They still talk about how unfair life can be when someone who lived an exemplary life dies young, while the ones who often cheated life are still around.

Anyway, good to see Gooden is living a clean life now.

Sandy Koufax is an extremely prickly and principled man. The well known Yom Kippur refusal to pitch in a WS game though fairly non religious is an example. As a guy who never pitched in a hs or college baseball game, he finally convinced his coach at the start of sophomore season at Cincinnati to try him at pitching. His arm immediately drew big-time interest from MLB teams. When the Yankees, seeking an upper hand sent a Jewish scout to meet with him. Koufax saw thru that and crossed the Yankees off his list.

For years Koufax would go to dodgers spring training. He would draw stick figures of the stages of a pitcher throwing a pitch. Legions of great dodger pitchers were his disciples.

He broke with the Dodgers at one point over some rumor that he is gay. It was a while back anyways.

Wilpon and Koufax played hs baseball at Lafayette hs for an ex major leaguer (Phillies) named Charlie Sheerin. Koufax 1b, wilpon pitched. Both went to Cincinnati. Sheerin switched schools and was my hs hygiene teacher in the 70s, as well as a gym teacher.

 

[fuchsia]

Sandy Koufax is an extremely prickly and principled man. The well known Yom Kippur refusal to pitch in a WS game though fairly non religious is an example. As a guy who never pitched in a hs or college baseball game, he finally convinced his coach at the start of sophomore season at Cincinnati to try him at pitching. His arm immediately drew big-time interest from MLB teams. When the Yankees, seeking an upper hand sent a Jewish scout to meet with him. Koufax saw thru that and crossed the Yankees off his list.

For years Koufax would go to dodgers spring training. He would draw stick figures of the stages of a pitcher throwing a pitch. Legions of great dodger pitchers were his disciples.

He broke with the Dodgers at one point over some rumor that he is gay. It was a while back anyways.

Wilpon and Koufax played hs baseball at Lafayette hs for an ex major leaguer (Phillies) named Charlie Sheerin. Koufax 1b, wilpon pitched. Both went to Cincinnati. Sheerin switched schools and was my hs hygiene teacher in the 70s, as well as a gym teacher.

Hi Beast, the story I heard was that Cookie Lavagetto (who broke up the Floyd Bevins World Series no-hitter) walked over to the ball fields at the Parade Grounds next to Prospect Park and saw Koufax on the mound throwing pitch after pitch that should have gone in the dirt but instead produced the sound of striking the catcher's mitt (unseen because of the wooden backstops surrounding home plate at each field). Supposedly with enough spin a fastball does not rise but does sink at a less steep angle. Once Koufax was in the majors the story is that catcher Norm Sherry suggested he not overthrow which gave his pitches more movement. And yes it's true, if Dante was alive today he would have Cassius and Brutus double up in one mouth of the demonic beast in order to make room for O'Malley and Robert Moses to double up in the third maw.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Hi Beast, the story I heard was that Cookie Lavagetto (who broke up the Floyd Bevins World Series no-hitter) walked over to the ball fields at the Parade Grounds next to Prospect Park and saw Koufax on the mound throwing pitch after pitch that should have gone in the dirt but instead produced the sound of striking the catcher's mitt (unseen because of the wooden backstops surrounding home plate at each field). Supposedly with enough spin a fastball does not rise but does sink at a less steep angle. Once Koufax was in the majors the story is that catcher Norm Sherry suggested he not overthrow which gave his pitches more movement. And yes it's true, if Dante was alive today he would have Cassius and Brutus double up in one mouth of the demonic beast in order to make room for O'Malley and Robert Moses to double up in the third maw.

Any baseball fan would give this book 4 stars. If you are from Brooklyn, Jewish, a Dodgers fan add one star for each.

Sandy Koufax: A LIfe

The instant New York Times bestseller about the baseball legend and famously reclusive Dodgers’ pitcher.

janeleavy.com

 

[Marillac2]

I’m glad Nimmo and McNeil are getting it together. It’s Lindor’s turn. They still play like the typical Mets stranding RISP.

The roster does feel decent. I could see us on the bubble around the trade deadline and add a couple pieces. Equally I could see us on the wrong side of the bubble and selling vets again to aid the youth movement. We will find out. Hopefully in the meantime they play entertaining enough games to watch.

7-8 feels more within our range than the bad start. Baty hitting .315 with some pop 15 games into the season is notable.

JD Martinez will hopefully push the team to the right side of .500 need the trade deadline.

 

[mjmaherjr]

Doc Gooden's career numbers are so much better than I thought. Essentially done by 1991 he was still 194-112 3.51 ERA.

Dwight Gooden Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Dwight Gooden. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Career and life derailed by drugs and alcohol. It's hard to imagine just how great he would have been from age 27-40. 300 wins could have been a low bar.

Just think that the Mets sent Kevin Mitchell packing thinking he was the bad influence.

Still a great day for Dwight to be in the spotlight.

Doc was a hero to a teenage mjmaherjr. 24-4 1.53 era that year was just mind boggling. I don’t think I missed a televised start on regular tv and read every article in the papers the next day

Ironically Doc lives a big part of the year in Glen Cove now where I grew up. My buddy since nursery school his best friend is one of Docs closest friends and was with him this whole weekend. Said Docs in a really good place now health wise. Hope he stays that way. Whenever people come up to him he’s always super friendly to them and their kids to talk or take pics even when eating at a restaurant

 

[dk423]

I went to the game last night. Had a lot of fun. Team seems to have some chemistry and fight to them.

I looked at last year's standings at this time. It's easy to forget that the team was mostly up and down the first two months (hovering a few games over .500), before the wheels completely blew off in late May/early June. I can't say I enjoyed a minute of last season, hopefully we keep this up.