I’ve not seen any photographs of Davey Johnson in long time, but the knowing light still twinkles from the eyes. But the most successful manager in Mets history is back in a fitting role as manager of Team USA. Mel Stottylemyre is the bullpen coach.
All this is really cool.
It’s easy to understand that Davey somehow knows how to beat those guys.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 27, 2009
And as Mac Fuller asks in American Thinker, are they now amazed at just how wrong they were?
Some of these were among the anti-Palin crowd – like Noonan and Buckley. If they now are disappointed, is it that they feel betrayal? Or maybe just duped by the seduction of the packaging. Maybe now the American voter will know that they actually have to understand someone’s record – or at least be wary of the lack of one.
It’s true that John McCain left things to be desired in many a conservative heart. Yet its hard to imagine the binge drinking in spending, the vaudeville act in appointees and the throw mamma from the train act involving Israel with a McCain presidency. One of Britains most famous conservative writers in Malanie Phillips asked, “is America really going to do this?”
Well its done and it is the fault of the American voter who was scamed and continues to be so by a snake oil salesman and his sychophants. The pattern continues. When the golden throat is faced with facts or his record, he continues to soothe the masses with a segway of three words……”I’ve always said……”
How long will the charade continue? How much longer will America not undetstand? Its becoming more and more apparent that when Obama speaks, assume the oppposite is likely to be occuring.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 27, 2009
Well versed in history and politics like few others, Narisco will be someone to put on your favorites. You’ll be able to tell that Narisco, like me, is a Sarah Palin fan.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 26, 2009
If the answer is yes, its a good thing.
Not unlike a certain current political figure, Mets GM Omar Minaya was seen often in Messianic visions. But the realities of baseball set in which delivered things accustomed. A loss in the NLCS. A historic September collapse. His hand picked manager messily fired during the season. Another collapse – albeit understandable with a makeshift bullpen. Predicatable media suggestions for his ouster.
No longer was Minaya’s people skills and rock star status enough. But it was never going to be enough anyhow. It had to come from the field and the original Minaya blueprint somehow assumed to circumvent that reality. No, his unique way with people would not be enough. In fact the structure put in place at the beginning of his tenure may well have been the real reason for the epic collapse of 2007. He created a power vaccum that circumvented the manager who’d potentially been a powerful one with his own New York street cred in Willie Randolph.
But it became all wrong and Minaya was left no other choice than to let Willie Randolph go in what proved to be a sloppy, classless manner. He may prove to be a lucky man that Jerry Manuel was available to be given the job on an interim basis.
It quickly became clear the interim tag would be removed from Manuel. The club played differently and responded to all things baseball differently. Not that is was just Randolph. It was something far more subtle in a shift in energy and influence from Minaya to Manuel.
Faced with the “Three Headed Monster” of Frank Cashen, Al Harazin and Joe McIlvaine, Davey Johnson was quoted as saying in 1985 the Mets needed to speak with one voice. He took alot of heat but Johnson had been right. Only when the team on the field’s strongest influence came from the field did the team begin to succeed. And Johnson and the Mets demise after the 1990 season should have been predicatable when two of his coaches were fired. The same was done to Randolph when Minaya fired Rick Down during the season.
If the lesson holds and the club become’s the manager’s and not the GM’s in perception, it could turn out to be a very good thing indeed.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 26, 2009
Matt Cerrone must be having the time of his life.
He had a vision for blogging about his beloved New York Mets so started a blog understandably called Metsblog. It quickly became the go to place for Mets fans everywhere and the model with which so many sports blogs are measured. He created sister blogs for other New York teams and even other Mets blogs. He took the plunge and went pro and after a year forged a relationship with his Mets new TV network, SNY. Today he’s live blogging in Port St. Lucie. Often before his eyes, his Mets go through the routines of spring.
I spoke to Matt a few times when I first starting blogging about the Mets a couple of years ago and he thought he’d never get the kind of access he’s getting now. But his passion for both his Mets and what he was doing created a path to success. He must now see he exceeded his wildest dreams.
Matt Cerrone has gone beyond being a success story. He’s proved to be a visionary and setting a template for new media in sports. While many of the nations great newspapers are dying, people like him are filling a void by doing it a way people may have always wanted anyhow.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 26, 2009
A surprising announcement by Jerry Manuel. Its early and it would have been understandable if the Mets had allowed Fernando Tatis to compete for a platoon role. But the reasoning in sound. Having Tatis on the bench stengthens the team in many ways. If Bobby Kielty makes the team as well, two veteran RH bats will be available to Manuel who is signaling with this move that he wants to use his bench more.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 22, 2009
Its more simple than you think. While its true that A-Rod and 100 other of his peers had their urine tests confiscated in a questionable manner by federal prosecutors, the players all knew they were doing something wrong. But why is A-Rod being singled out? And seemingly outed by his peers? It’s not the fact that he is clearly a great player – as was Bonds and Clemens whom fell into similar question – it is because of the way A-Rod rolls. His friends and social structure are the jet-set celeb, the uber famous, and not other players or family. Other players, regardless of wealth, identify with peers. A-Rod does not.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 18, 2009
My son, Rob, recieved a Shea Stadium seat for Valentines’ Day. My lovely ex-wife bought a panoramic picture of Shea Stadium that both Rob and I will put in our rooms. Mines a classroom picture that goes along with lots of other 1986 glory yellowing photos. Some very nice young students are taking care of arrangenments and they will do it well. A school is like a church, a home, a sanctuary for all things that are good and caired for. Thank goodness for these angels who chose to care for an old man’s glory days
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 16, 2009
If he makes the club, he might be.
Its important to remember that the club that leaves Florida in April is gfar different from the one which plays in September. But the Mets roster is void of right-handed pop. The veteran Kielty can provide that. With the club likely to carry 12 to 13 pitchers again, it leaves fewer players to come off the bench. Kielty is likely to make the club along with a left-handed hitting OF, one catcher, and Alex Cora.
This assumes that the Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy enters the season as the left field platoon. The Mets need Kielty and Tatis to have good springs to solve balance problems. One lefty-hitting OF out of the group of Angel Pagan, Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed will battle for one roster spot.
The best hitters coming off the bench late in the game will come from the following list that’s not already in the game: Tatis, Kielty, Murphy and a lefty-hitting OF. Only in the chance the Mets opt to go with 11 or 12 pitchers will the bench change. All in all, this is not a bad roster to start the season.
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This post was written by bobsikes on February 16, 2009
