Saturday, April 28, 2018

The Brandon Drury Fan Club will be disappointed.

Including Brandon Drury, that totals one person.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Thought about Refsnyder while discussing the ascension of Didi.

Refsnyder has not driven in a run since 2016, at least 106 at-bats. I could probably investigate the game logs and figure out the last time he had an RBI. It seems almost impossible to go this long without driving in a run.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

This Mike Trout stat snuck up on me.

Career 170 stolen bases with only 32 caught stealing.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

More Tyler Clippard than Tom Seaver. A .500 pitcher who isn't getting any younger.

Three truths about New York Baseball 2018:

1. Harvey is learning "how to pitch."
2. Sonny Gray is making mechanical adjustments.
3. Gary Sanchez's defense is improving.

7.5 games back is no joke.

Felz Stat of the Day

Ronald Torreyes is batting .438.

Friday, April 20, 2018

Felz Stat of the Day

The Dark Knight has an ERA of 6.00.

This isn't hard to explain.

Hitting HRs is fun.

Catching is not fun.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Felz Stat of the Day

Alex Cobb's ERA is 15.43.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The kids will flock to baseball for sure if baseball has ties.

Some of the best things about baseball:

- No running out the clock.
- No ties.
- The tension that builds up between pitches.
- Exciting, bizarre, fun extra innings.

Monday, April 09, 2018

$252 million seems quaint.

I know somebody probably asked ARod and Duquette is responding to ARod's response ... but this happened 17 years ago and seems to have fascinated/traumatized a lot of people for a long time.

For what it's worth, ARod made some major salary concessions when he attempted to sign with Boston, but that contract was rejected by the Players' Union.

That was a few years after the time period being discussed, but it gives some credence to what he's saying.

Sunday, April 08, 2018

Sunday afternoons were made for baseball.

Sunday nights? Not so much:

"The Mets are good."

Few would disagree. It's a bit of a subjective observation. I wish there was a way to objectively ascertain the quality of a professional sports team.


"Now they play the season to find out how good."

I think Lupica may be on to something here.

They ought to set up a system where different teams play one another, according to a schedule, and then keep track of the wins and losses. They could even split up the teams into leagues and divisions. Then, at the end of the season, the best teams could play each other in the playoffs.


"Do you make lasting judgments about anybody before 10 games have been played? Come on."


Seriously.


"In the process the Mets have reminded us that it was just three years ago, hardly a lifetime even though it feels that way sometimes, when they were seven games better than a wounded Washington team in the National League East."

The beginning of this column feels like a lifetime ago.


"Sunday night, the Mets look for the sweep against the Nationals on ESPN. Matt Harvey gets the ball, and tries to build on the five innings of one-hit, five-strikeout ball he pitched against the Phillies on what looked and surely must have felt to the players like it was the baseball version of that hockey Winter Classic they had not long ago at Citi Field. Now Harvey gets classic Bryce Harper and everybody else around Harper in the Nationals’ batting order. It will be something to see, on a night when the Mets will be the team to watch in town."

This afternoon, the Yankees will be the team to watch in town.

I think the dubious honor of a Sunday Night ESPN game is based more on the NY opponent than the NY team. The Nationals are a bigger draw than the Orioles.


" 'When pitchers pitch well,' Buck Showalter was telling me the other day, 'we all look smart.' "

Another gem.

What's your deal with Orioles manager Buck Showalter, anyway?

Is he, like, your last remaining MLB source?


"Callaway was telling me in February in Port St. Lucie about his formal job interview with Jeff Wilpon and Sandy Alderson and J.P. Ricciardi and John Ricco.

'Going into that interview, my basic thought was this: "If I can get this job, we can win next year," ' the new Mets manager said.

It was good February talk about a regular season that really did begin in March this time and won’t end until a game against the Marlins on Sept. 30 at Citi Field. Callaway knows that the opponent in the East isn’t just going to be the Nationals. Nobody should go to sleep on the Atlanta Braves. They’re good, too. So are the Mets. New York team to watch on Sunday night."

ESPN. April. Sunday Night. I'm sure the worldwide audience will be, what? One billion viewers?

Thursday, April 05, 2018

Casual

As he rounds the bases, his shirt is halfway unbuttoned and I think his fly is down.

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

Monday, April 02, 2018

I am sticking with "bust."

Because opinions are cool and maybe one day I will get to say, "I told ya so."

A few things:
  1. "Look" of a future superstar sounds like the dumbest scout since Clint Eastwood in that movie.
  2. "See how Ohtani recovered from a three-run HR ..." I was thinking the same thing yesterday after Robertson gave up an 8th-inning Grand Slam. At least he rebounded and got the next guy out.
  3. No one cares about the radar gun anymore. It's not 1975. Everybody throws 95+. It may be a signal that he's a future MLB superstar or it may be a signal that he's a future Dr. James Andrews superstar.