Valdez Applesauce - Mets meet with Chapman, minor leaguer heart attack, Valdez cut

by Joe Budd on Oct 25, 2009 10:45 AM EDT in Applesauce

Happy Sunday everyone. On an unrelated note, when was the last time the Raiders came to New York?

Meet the Mets

You think JP Ricciardi would like to have the Jose Cruz Jr. for David Wright trade offer back?

So much for keeping Wilson Valdez in the majors as the middle infield defensive wiz.

There is more offseason baseball than in the AFL. Toby Hyde gives us an update; Josh Thole is still hitting. Can we live with a singles hitting catcher?

A sad story out of Venezuela this morning: Met minor league pitcher Rafael Castro has died from a heart attack. Castro was 18 years old.

The Mets apparently met with Andorran citizen/Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman yesterday.

Around the NL East

Every now and then there is a link that I consider to be a must share. This is one of them.

Tim Hudson has begun negotiations with the Braves to stay in Atlanta.

The latest from the deification of Charlie Manuel front.

I hate the Phillies, but I do like the "Little Red Machine" nickname.

Around MLB

Craig Calcaterra says that Bobby Valentine's behavior makes him a longshot for the Indians job.

What is up with the cracks at the new Yankee Stadium? Mob contractors? Really?

The Padres have replaced Kevin Towers with Red Sox official Jed Hoyer.

Does Barry Larkin have a shot at the Hall of Fame?

And, finally, USA Today tells us what happened to some of MLB postseason's biggest goats.

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Comments

What a fail

"We're investigating the investigative procedure of the investigation of Tony Bernazard"---Omar Minaya (he really didn't say it but he would"

by firejerrynow on Oct 25, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

couldn't have happened to a bigger douche

We've got ourselves a ball club, the Mets of New York town!

by kingcritical on Oct 25, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

This is what happens when white people people dance like that.

The fact that he’s a Phools fan makes it even funnier.

Beer is good! And stuff!

by R_Adragna on Oct 25, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Dear Phillies Fans,

"I reject your reality and substitute my own"
-Adam Savage

by blueandorange4life on Oct 25, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

This is why you don't dance

on a parked car with someone sitting inside of it. They might drive away.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own"
-Adam Savage

by blueandorange4life on Oct 25, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow, repetition fail on my part.

Beer is good! And stuff!

by R_Adragna on Oct 25, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Idiot Phils fan

If I may, I really feel sorry for the more legit Phils fans (albeit a small number of them) that have to deal with bums like our friend dancing on the car and other bandwagon junkheads there.

Beer is good! And stuff!

by R_Adragna on Oct 25, 2009 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t think Barry Larkin is a Hall of Famer. Was definitely good and had effective seasons, but hardly hall worthy

by Rey-O on Oct 25, 2009 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

I think he's definitely in

A near 70 WAR shortstop has got to make it.

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Oct 25, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Oct 25, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Who needs Valdez?

Anderson Hernandez is AWEZOME

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Oct 25, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

Ya Gotta Believe AND Little Red Machine?

Man, do the Phils even have a PR department? Can’t they come up with ANYTHING original.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Oct 25, 2009 2:13 PM EDT reply actions

WE GOT WINZ !!!!!!

by fxcarden on Oct 25, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Thole and "handling pitchers"

I have always thought that the phrase, “handles pitchers well” was a media euphemism for, “this veteran catcher can’t hit his weight but we have to say something reasonably nice about him.” Really, what “handling” would Thole have to do? All of the pitches will be called from the dugout, pickoffs too, and he’ll even be told when to go to the mound. He absolutely needs to do a better job on blocking pitches in the dirt, but that strikes me as a learnable skill. Bottom line, if the Mets’ “brain” trust believes Thole can OPS >.750, he should catch 100+ games next year.

by madisonmetsfan on Oct 25, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

I always thought is sounded homoerotic

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Oct 25, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

do you really want pitches to be called from the Mets dugout?

After the game
Reporter: Jerry, why did you have Green go with the slider at 3-2, bases loaded
Jerry: It was gangsta

"We're investigating the investigative procedure of the investigation of Tony Bernazard"---Omar Minaya (he really didn't say it but he would"

by firejerrynow on Oct 25, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Aren't they already being called from the dugout?

Maybe Schneider called his own games, but do you really think all pitches weren’t called from the bench when Santos and Thole were catching?

by madisonmetsfan on Oct 25, 2009 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I think most team call pitches from the dugout when there are runners on base.

by fxcarden on Oct 26, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

To answer the unrelated note

The Raiders were in New York 2 weeks ago to play the Giants. To answer what I think you real questions, the Raiders last payed the Jets here in Week 17 of 2006. The Jets won to clinch a playoff spot and every jumped on the Mangini bandwagon (that didn’t last long, did it?)

by StorkFan on Oct 25, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

Was it that recently?

I’m surprised. Without checking, this has to be at least the Jets’ 4th trip to Oakland in the past 10 years, and I couldn’t remember the Raiders making the trip at all during that time.

by BobbyV_Incognito on Oct 25, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Mangenious!

"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09

by cjmulrain on Oct 25, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions