Category: mets

Recently I cracked wise about the 1978 Mets and how even I hadn’t heard of Mardi Cornejo.  Fortunately, Grag Price had….

For the better, was the idea, but entering 1978, the power of positive thinking seemed inoperable in Metropolitan circles. Yet here were the Mets, not losing more than they were winning, which wasn’t widely anticipated in March. There was a 3-0 start; there were home runs from old faces (Ed Kranepool — a walkoff winner); young faces (Steve Henderson — a grand slam); grizzled faces (ex-Giant Ken Henderson, belting his sole Met shot before succumbing to serious injury). There were Mets up from Tidewater, like unheralded righty starter and Queens native Mike Bruhert and reliever Mardie Cornejo, whose nickname, for some unspecified reason, was The Chief.

via The Happiest Recap: 013-015 « Faith and Fear in Flushing.

Ket that be a cautionary tale before you go trading one or two of the career leaders out of town.

In today’s must-read, ESPN New York takes a lengthy look at moving the fences in at Citi Field.

Says Rybarczyk: “I did this by moving the fence line of the long fence segment 10 feet towards the infield (which actually results in the fence being a bit more than 10 feet closer to home, since the fence angles away from home plate). I also lowered this fence to 10 feet high from the existing 16 feet high. If you do this, you increase homers to that part of the park by 35 percent, and overall homers by 22 percent. Obviously you can tweak the amount of the move inwards and/or the height of the new wall to get a bigger or smaller effect.”

That’s just a little from a long read.

I say leave them alone, and build a team for the park. Maybe find a speedy triples hitter to bat leadoff, and a scrappy Irish guy who hits .309

METS SELECT OUTFIELDER BRANDON NIMMO
FROM WYOMING’S CHEYENNE EAST HIGH SCHOOL
WITH 13th OVERALL PICK IN 2011 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT

FLUSHING, N.Y., June 6, 2011 – The New York Mets today announced the selection of outfielder Brandon Nimmo from Cheyenne East High School (WY) with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Nimmo, 18, who bats lefthanded and throws righthanded, plays American Legion ball for Post 6, since Wyoming has no high school baseball. In 22 games through June 5, Nimmo hit .569 (33-58) with 13 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 34 RBI and 14 stolen bases. The schedule for Post 6 runs through the American Legion World Series, August 12-16 in Shelby, NC.

The 6-3, 190-pound native of Cheyenne, WY won the MVP award at the Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field last August, going 2-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored for the American Team. Baseball America ranked Nimmo has the second-best high school athlete in the draft, and the second-best pure high school hitter. The publication also said Nimmo has the second-best strike-zone judgement of all high school draft prospects.

Nimmo is the first ever first-round selection from Wyoming.

Last season for Post 6, Nimmo hit .448 (95-212) with 23 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs and 84 RBI in 70 games, 69 starts. He was a perfect 34-34 in stolen base attempts, helping Post 6 to a 64-12 record.

Nimmo, who committed to the University of Arkansas, is the third position player taken in the first round by the Mets since 2008. He joins 1B Ike Davis and INF Reese Havens in 2008.

METS SELECT RIGHTHANDED PITCHER MICHAEL FULMER
FROM OKLAHOMA’S DEER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
WITH 44th OVERALL PICK IN 2011 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT

FLUSHING, N.Y., June 6, 2011 – The New York Mets today announced the selection of righthanded pitcher Michael Fulmer from Deer Creek High School (OK) with the 44th overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Fulmer, 18, went 10-2 with a 0.72 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 68.0 innings for Deer Creek High School, located in Edmond, OK. The righthander also appeared at first base and third base during his career with the Antlers, hitting .436 with six home runs and 43 RBI this season. He was named a 2011 first-team All-State selection.

The 6-3, 205-pounder received the Ferguson Jenkins Award this year, presented to the top five high school baseball players in Oklahoma.

Fulmer, who committed to the University of Arkansas, was selected with the compensation pick the Mets received when reliever Pedro Feliciano signed with the New York Yankees.

Item: former 1986 Mets player seems to have done bad things.

As I have mentioned before, I’m not really interested in dirt. Sometimes there’s a combinational of player and action that cannot be ignored. In this case, I think we all have come to realize what we have in this guy. Think back to a skinny kid, maybe an October home run, and ignore the rest.

Item: guy people like was reportedly ejected from stadium on Sunday

If you spent two seconds on the Internet today you may have read about the fan who was reportedly ejected from the game.

It would be very easy for me to go into “Mets are jerks, they don’t get it” mode. My default is “couldn’t they remove the sign but not the guy?” One could argue that one arm of Wilpon Inc liked the sign on Friday so why not on Sunday? One could suggest the overeager security guard(s) theory.

Point is, I don’t know what happened. I’ve only heard one side.

Item: some want me to write the “general problem with overzealous Citi security story”

I could…but I need some stories. I personally find the Citi Field staff to be pleasant.

When I air my grievances they are mine, based on my experiences. Fred, Jeff and Dave Einhorn are welcome to meet me in the Promenade and we can discuss the meaning of obstructed. I’ll pay for the seats and I’ll know the details of the issue. (If you’re new, basically click on any article from 2009.)

I haven’t been hassled by any guards. If you have, I’d be interested in hearing your story.