According to Ken Rosenthal, the Sox will look to move Graffanino once they sign A-Gonz due to a glut of middle infielders. The Mets should jump on that. Seems like a better option than Kaz Matbooi or Bret Boo-ne.

Bonds is out of the WBC, and Pedro indicated that he'll be in. The momentum shifts back to DR.

And the Benson trade? Eh, as much as Julio sucks, I don't think it's a bad deal. Benson's a mediocre starter and makes $7 mill a year. And this Maine guy sounds like has a chance to be a mediocre starter himself. If we still had Seo, I think I'd like this trade. Damn Seo trade!

these awards don't compare to the stickball awards.

stickball hall of fame?

may be an old topic, but now that piazza's met tenure is over, i have my doubts that he will go in as a met. his most memorable moments came as a met, and he spend equal time with both the dodgers and mets, but his best years came with the dodgers. looks like we'll be stuck at one hall-of-famer, and he won't let us forget it, big-boy.

is bob murphy in the HOF?

First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence

Willie McGee a Hall of Famer?
What are some of these writers thinking????
I was looking at some of the past voting records, and Joe DiMaggio didn't get in on his first try!!! Neither did Yogi Berra!! 10 World Series!! Probably the best catcher baseball had ever seen in his time.

For what it's worth, if I had a BBWAA card, I'd be voting for Dawson, Blyleven, Rice, John, and probably Gossage too. I always think that pitchers get the short staff when it comes to the Hall of Fame.

Hey Ryan-
The Hutch Award was created and given to the Major League ballplayer that best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of the late Fred Hutchinson.

The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity to recognize the Major League Baseball Player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of Lou Gehrig, Columbia '25, both on and off the field.

Babe Ruth Award was discontinued aftrer 2002, and was awarded by the NY chapter of BBWAA to honor the player they felt was the World Series MVP. The last winner...David Eckstein.

Roberto Clemente Award is not given for the best tragic plane crash death...(from mlb.com) "The Roberto Clemente Award presented by John Hancock is given annually to a player who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others."

Good article about Minaya from the Sun.

The Damon news is tought to take, but I think Rosenthal is overstating things a bit. Red Sox season crumbling? Hardly. Yes, there's now a big hole in CF, but not one that is impossible to fill. Just as a starting point, here are the 2005 EqA's of Damon and some possible replacements:

Damon .291
Coco Crisp .290
Jason Michaels .285
Jeremy Reed .249

Actually, the best option probably would've been Mike Cameron (.284 last year + superior D), but the Mets have already traded him. Not like there's anyone on the Sox that the Mets were interested in.

All that said, the Yanks' lineup is looking pretty stacked. I'm still not sold on the rotation. The Unit has to show his age one of these years. Pavano is a big question mark. And I'm not sold on Wang or Chacon.

I like the idea of the Mets signing Dotel, but most pitchers aren't so great their first year back from Tommy John, so it's not exactly a slam-dunk signing for the Yankees.

The Mets would be even dumber if they sign Julian Tavarez to a rumored three-year deal. This guy is a total chump. I'd be down with getting Octavio "Please" Dotel. the yanks are in the hunt for him too.

look at this chump:

the cards are dumb. 3 years $13.5 mil for boo-per? (I was saying boo).

I'm not sure I understand the Lo Duca deal. If the Mets are both counting on increased revenue from SportsNet NY and looking for marquee stars to push ratings why not just bring back Piazza if you are not going to upgrade the catcher position? Lo Duca bottoms out towards the end of every season, he's only 3 years (or so) younger than Piazza with stats that don't exactly dazzle.
So if you're not going to upgrade the position or get younger, why not keep the best offensive player in Mets history and one of the most popular players they've ever had?

How have I never heard of this player?

4 Years, $43 M?? Really? No Offense, but in 4 years he'll be throwing about as fast as our own resident Billy Wagner.

the florida marlins report that there will be a "significant market correction" to their payroll.

uhhhh, do they think that the 10 remaining fish fans won't realize that they're dumping payroll again?

ESPN says the marlins are now actively exploring a move out of Miami. Good, they've never drawn, despite they're two world championships. Sure, they've been screwed by bad ownership, but both Florida teams were a terrible idea by M.L.B. Contract the Rays and Marlins and move the Brewers back to the AL.

Xavier Nady? I know I'm a bigger fan of Cameron's than most, but I really thought the Mets could get more than Nady. Maybe this is part of a master plan to package Nady for Manny, but don't the Red Sox need a CF? For that matter, it seems like a lot of teams need a centerfielder, and that one of them would've been willing to give more than Xavier Nady. I guess Nady can be part of a decent cheap platoon with Jacobs. At best, meh.

Unrelated Mets goodness.

Why is it that people with money cry about needing public assistance? Article on hidden costs for the proposed yankees/mets stadia.

Did Papi get screwed?

Epstein's left the Sox! Wow, pretty surprising, especially so since he's talking about leaving baseball altogether. Burnout perhaps?

The team Bobby V is facing in the Japan Series, the Hanshin Tigers, suffer from the "Curse of the Colonel"
in 1985, when the Tigers last won the Japan Series, celebrating fans uprooted a statue of the KFC Colonel after the clinching game and threw it into a river in Osaka. They have not won since..............................(and are now down 2-0 in the series thanks to MATT FRANCO!)

Meanwhile. the president of FOX blames short games for the ratings dropoff in this year's World Series!!!!!

Maybe it's the inane announcers and deluge of graphics and video-game crap that turns off much of the nation. good article today in the times revealing the "video-game" philosophy of Fox' baseball producers.

Marines are in the Japan Series! Check out the pic of Bobby V being tossed in the air by the team.

Leo Mazzone to the Orioles! Excellent, he's out of the Mets' division, and into the Yankees'. This will be the year the Braves finally lose the divison.

I think the end of the article sums it up absolutely perfectly:

In closing, let’s hear from the great Keith Hernandez who said, “You don’t win a World Series drinking milk.”

Screw Clemens. Go Sawx.

I can't see how it's possible to root for clemens and his robin, the boy wonder sidekick. they're wack and their whole "let's ride/lift together" relationship is just too weird.

wouldn't mind seeing jose contreras win the world series mvp. traded for esteban loiza and a bottle of rogaine. oh, and one of the great postseason peformers el duque even tho the chisox will never use their bullpen again.

Speaking of the 'stros, has anyone else noticed that they have zero Molinas on the team?

From Ravi: Modern Drunkard magazine article on the '86 Mets.