I liked this article in Forbes that recaps the Mets’ finances, the Jackie Robinson stuff and gives us a new stat to throw around which is the Mets played to 75% capacity as opposed to the previous 93% Dave from Flushing would mention.

They also randomly mentioned the idea of a Seaver Ownership. Bad idea after the first three days. We’d just wind up hating Seaver the way we turned on Buddy. Unless Tom rolls into town the way Nolan Ryan did in Texas, forget it.

A good read if you have time although not much new other than what I told you.

Everyone (except Greg Prince) is hereby challenged to name the four 1977 Mets players who managed in the big leagues.

Wow I Castillo’d this post.  I did the long pre-amble below but forgot to actually include the video.  D’oh.

Original spiel below.

Continue reading “Video: How I Met The Mets April 19, 1984 (now with video)”

Brooklyn, NY – The coaching staff for the 2011 Brooklyn Cyclones has been announced and features some familiar faces.  Rich Donnelly will serve as the team’s new manager, while 1988 Cy Young Award winner and East Meadow, Long Island native Frank Viola joins the team as its new pitching coach.  Rounding out the staff will be former Cyclones outfielder Bobby Malek, who returns to Coney Island as the team’s hitting instructor.

Donnelly, 63, begins his first season with the organization and becomes the eighth manager in Cyclones history.  The Steubenville, Ohio native began his coaching career in 1972, serving as a minor league manager in the Texas Rangers’ farm system.  In 1980, Donnelly joined the Rangers’ major league staff as the bullpen coach before returning to the minors for two more seasons.  Starting in 1983, he began a string of 26 seasons working on the major league level including 14 years as a member of Jim Leyland’s coaching staff with Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado.  Donnelly served as the third base coach for the Marlins during their 1997 World Series title run.  Originally signed as a catcher by the Minnesota Twins in 1967, he was a third base coach with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2003-2005 and played the same role for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006-2007.  For the last three seasons, Donnelly has worked as a roving instructor for the Pirates while also serving as a motivational speaker.

Viola, 50, who spent 15 seasons in the major leagues as a pitcher with the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-1996, will now begin his coaching career with the Cyclones.  A three-time All-Star, he was named the World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the American League Cy Young Award in 1988.  That season, the lefthander went 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA for Minnesota while collecting 27 of a possible 28 first place votes.  In July, 1989 Viola was traded to the Mets and went 38-32 in his three seasons in the orange and blue.  Nicknamed “Sweet Music,” Viola coached Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida following his retirement and more recently has worked in television as a part-time announcer for the Boston Red Sox on NESN.

Continue reading “Brooklyn Cyclones staff includes former Mets pitcher Frank Viola”