Blind Squirrel Applesauce - Murphy flashes leather, Delgado returning to Mets, Bankrupt Dykstra

by Joe Budd on Jul 9, 2009 10:13 AM EDT in Applesauce

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. Last night was just one game and the Mets needed every break to come out with a 5-4 victory over the NL's best. How much different could last night have been if Gary Sheffield were tagged out without sliding? Or if the umpire had called Mark Loretta safe on Daniel Murphy's amazing play? Don't get me wrong, I'll take a win and be happy, but to an extent. Greg Prince puts it well, as usual.

Meet the Mets

"Chuck Norris and Oliver Perez got into a fight. Guess who won? Ollie did. He was all over the place and Chuck couldn't hit him."

Confucius Elias say man who walks 7 in 5 inning shouldn't win.

Maybe my suggested route of trading Met veterans won't be so easy.

Brad Holt is still winless in double-A, but he did strike out 10 in 5 innings. Ike Davis homered for the 3rd time in 4 days.

Carlos Delgado is ahead of schedule and may return to the lineup August 1.

Daniel Murphy means business.

Lance Broadway threw a complete game yesterday, allowing only 7 hits.

The Philadelphia Inquirer prints a plea for peace in the Met-Phillie rivalry.

Beyond the Box Score ranks the Mets 22nd in their latest power rankings.

Around the NL East

Philadelphia is very interested in Pedro Martinez. Good luck with that. In worse news, MLBtraderumors lists the Phillies as the favorites to land Halladay. FanGraphs explains why any team would be happy to get the ace.

On the field, Shane Victorino helped his all-star case with a walk-off single against the Reds. All was not well, however, as Met killer Rodrigo Lopez left the game after five innings with shoulder inflammation.

Chris Volstad threw his first career shutout in yesterday's Marlin victory over the Giants.

Marlin utility player Alfred Amezaga is out for the season.

The Rockies continued their winning ways in beating the Nationals, sweeping the series. Adam Dunn committed two errors.

The Braves took 2 of 3 from the Cubs at Wrigley.

Around MLB

Lenny Dykstra filed for bankruptcy yesterday. The AP has identified Dykstra as a former Met star.

Twin prospect Deolis Guerra has been promoted to the double-A New Britain Rockcats.

Ken Griffey Jr. gave his own tribute to the King of Pop.

The Blue Jays have released former closer BJ Ryan with $15 million remaining on his enormous contract.

Royals Review finds there's not that much of a difference between the maligned David Dejesus and the glorified Jason Bay.

The Red Sox and Rockies are talking trade.

Brewer bench coach Willie Randolph got ejected and suspended for arguing with an umpire. Happy now Met fans?

Beyond the Boxscore argues for human umpires.

Andruw Jones, yes that Andruw, hit 3 homers last night. The Rangers are now in first place.

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Comments

from Faith and Fear:

[The Mets] beat the best team in baseball Wednesday night.

Does anyone really believe the Dodgers are the best team in baseball because they have a couple more wins than the Red Sox and the Yankees?

by JoshNY on Jul 9, 2009 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

WINS MEAN EVERYTHING

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

by squid92 on Jul 9, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Dodgers are Best

I put the Dodgers above the Yankees and slightly ahead of the Sox. But, who cares. The best team doesn’t always win it all anyway…so, their point is valid.

The 2009 Mets: Rollins hits a la-a-a-azy fly ball to left field. Murphy ready to put this one in the books as he ma-...HE DROPS THE BALL!! Ruiz rounds second, Murphy throws in to the backup shortstop Cora WHO LETS IT GET BY HIM. To third goes Ruiz! Reed, who took Tatis' spot for defensive reasons fires to thi-...THERE'S NOBODY THERE! Putz is running over to the ball. Picks it up and whirls to home, THROWS IT AWAY! PHLLIES WIN! Putz appears hurt and we're getting word Reyes was involved in another car accident.

by ZaBlanc on Jul 9, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

When he was a financial guru

Dykstra was an “ex-MLB player.” Now that he’s a bankrupt joke, he’s an “ex-Met.” Seems appropriate.

by Zwill on Jul 9, 2009 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

That's nice of the media.

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

by squid92 on Jul 9, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Lenny Dykstra

Career WAR with Mets: 16.4 WAR
Career WAR with Phillies: 25 WAR
“Former MET star, Former MET star…”

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

by squid92 on Jul 9, 2009 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

It's all about the RING. duh.

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

by kingcritical on Jul 9, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

obviously.

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

by squid92 on Jul 9, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

that phillies sympthay article isnt bad actually

but the thought of accepting pity from rival fans is distasteful.

Lets hope that when gut check time comes again the Mets will pass it with flying colors.

by kendynamo on Jul 9, 2009 11:47 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed

Whatever happened to looting and pillaging?

I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!

by R_Adragna on Jul 9, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

My favorite part of the Murphy play

is that the umpire almost punches Loretta when making the out call. I have nothing against Loretta or anything but I just thought that was funny.

by blains2000 on Jul 9, 2009 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

DELGADO DELGADO DELGADO DELGADO DELGADO DELGADO

Great news!! Hope it’s true! I’m headed to see the Mets in a couple games in September when they come to Colorado. It’s amazing to think I may very well see Reyes, Beltran, and Delgado there.

by ZaBlanc on Jul 9, 2009 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

Link is wrong on Murph.

Try this: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5485207

by ZaBlanc on Jul 9, 2009 12:42 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks

Just fixed it

by Joe Budd on Jul 9, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's a better view...

Tho I wouldn’t change the link:

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290708121

by ZaBlanc on Jul 9, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Why is the Dykstra story so big?

Tons of ex-pro athletes go bankrupt. SI ran a big story on it a couple months ago.

by David G on Jul 9, 2009 12:49 PM EDT reply actions

A few reasons

1. Dykstra is a legendary ex-Met.
2. Irony, hypocrisy. Lenny Dykstra was touted by many as a financial genius, who actually wrote a financial advice column for The Street and created a magazine dedicated to the financial health of professional athletes.
2. His is a story of particularly compelling hubris and deception.

by TheBigStapler on Jul 9, 2009 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

From Lenny's bankruptcy petition

Among his top 20 unsecured creditors:

Bank of America Credit Cards $190k

Countrywide Bank $4 million (unsecured somehow, maybe second mortgage)

Wamu $12.9 million.

No wonder the banks in this countty collapsed. It wasn’t liar loans, mortgage fraud, the community reinvestment act securitization, poor risk managmenet or wall street greed. It was Lenny Kyle Dykstra.

David and Teresa Litt, $2.5 million. Oh, Mrs. Litt is gonna give it to david tonight.

Some dude named Festus Dada for $500k. Festus? Wasn’t he on Gunsmoke?

Some securities firm, some printing and publishing cos (his Player mag stuff)

Constant Aviation $227k

Privileged Flight $190k

Global Aviation $550k. He travelled in style I guess.

Here’s a real tough one: california Labor Commission Divisison of Industrial Relations $512k. Hmm, I wonder if that is employee withhlding or sales tax, in which case he is f’ed.

All from the web site of the US Bankruptcy Court Central District of California.

by wobatus on Jul 9, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Showing your age with the Gunsmoke reference.

Unless, of course, you’re like me and got into Gunsmoke the way I got into MASH re-runs: Watched the show during the writer’s strike because all of the new shows were garbage.

by meigs1414 on Jul 9, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Gunsmoke

ran until 1975. I was 11.

Weird run, in that it was number 1 show from ‘56-’61, then it fell to middle of the pack by mid 60s, then it made a comeback. From ’70-73 it was from top 2 and always in top 10.

I wasn’t a big fan, but it was on tv. You had7 choices: WCBS 2 WNBC 4 WNEW 5 WABC 7 WOR 9 WPIX 11 and WNET13. Maybe WLIW 21 or WNJ 50 (Uncle Floyd Show).

by wobatus on Jul 9, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

zwill

beat me to this info. over on the dykstra thread.

by wobatus on Jul 9, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

No worries

Staring at his creditors has not gotten the least bit boring to me. I could read that list all day. It’s a perfect storm of irresponsibility. I too was puzzled about the Countrywide situation and how they could loan him $4MM w/o collateral. I guess it’s possible that this was just SOP for Countrywide, a predatory lender in every sense of the term.

by Zwill on Jul 9, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions

As a bankruptcy attorney

I can hazard a guess that they are secured, but a second or third mortgage and the value of the collateral has deteriorated to the point they are underwater, but that’s just Lenny’s petition. Ultimately the court would decide. It would hardly seem predatory to lend Lenny a buncha money without collateral. Haha, gotcha Lenny, we fooled you, got you take out $4 million and we have no way of getting it back, mooowhahahahahahaha!

But in general, perhaps. :)

by wobatus on Jul 9, 2009 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Just to add on to that

He loved bragging about himself. He would tell anyone who listened what a genius he was. He was such an asshole about it that his bankruptcy is kind of satisfying for some.

"I have discovered in twenty years of moving around a ball park, that the knowledge of the game is usually inverse in proportion to the price of the seats." - Bill Veeck

by Prince on Jul 9, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

for dykstra back story

check out the deadspin posts here

and this article by a former employee of his bs Players Club magazine here

lenny dysktra is a tremendous piece of crap.

Lets hope that when gut check time comes again the Mets will pass it with flying colors.

by kendynamo on Jul 10, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Also

Did any of you guys know that Ronnie was involved with his magazine? He’s mentioned at the bottom of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/business/media/17athletes.html

Maybe that’s why, to the best of my knowledge, they didn’t mention Dykstra over the air?

"I have discovered in twenty years of moving around a ball park, that the knowledge of the game is usually inverse in proportion to the price of the seats." - Bill Veeck

by Prince on Jul 9, 2009 1:51 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe we SHOULD have signed Andruw Jones after all

on an unrelated note, I just got an e-mail from “Phillies Nation” telling me to vote for Shane Victorino for the ASG. I had just eaten, and it almost all came right back up. I have never gotten an e-mail from them before and I have no idea how they could have gotten my address. I’m assuming for now one of my asshole friends from Philly put my e-mail address onto their mailing list. I hate that city, and I really, really hate Shane Victorino. I would rather sit naked on a block of ice than see him in the ASG.

by cjmulrain on Jul 9, 2009 2:05 PM EDT reply actions