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Hey look, new color scheme!
So in the midst of a day spent mostly trying to tie up loose ends before I head to Port St. Lucie next week, I changed the color scheme here. I had grown pretty attached to the handsome autumnal tones (which, my wife will tell you, are also the colors of the furniture in our extremely masculine living room, since everything needs to match Vin Diesel and Usher Riding Into Battle on a Chariot Pulled By White Tigers, the obvious focal point of the room [it really ties the room together]), but with Spring Training on the horizon and all I figured I should probably switch to something more baseball-appropriate.
Problem is, bright colors hurt my eyes and I stare at this site for a good portion of the day, so I had to keep ’em reasonably neutral. And I like to keep the colors distinct from Mets colors because this isn’t technically a Mets blog.
First I had a darker blue with gray accents (whatup Hoyas), but some early Twitter feedback said it looked too much like a Yankees blog that way. So I worked in some green, because, you know, baseball.
Now I’ve looked at it and tweaked it so many times that I can’t decide if I like it or if I’m just sick of futzing with it, so I’m going to go with this for a little while and see how it plays.
Half of you read the site on RSS anyway, so in that case carry on. But if you hate it or love it or it gives you a seizure, let me know.
Cameron Maybin puts Panda Express, foot in mouth
New Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin tweeted something rather explicit about his experience digesting Panda Express. One problem: the CEO of Panda Express also owns the Padres.
Terry Collins on bullpen use
Copy editor’s delight
The Mets signed Jason Isringhausen to a Minor League deal with a camp invite yesterday. This morning on Twitter, our man Patrick Flood pointed out how much young Izzy looked like Josh Thole. It’s a good call:
As for the signing: Cool. As J.P. Ricciardi pointed out, he’s now about 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery, right around the time he should be recovered — in that a 38-year-old pitcher can recover. Izzy was an excellent reliever for a long time, so why not give him a chance to bounce back if there’s absolutely no risk to the team?
Plus I have a very soft spot in my heart for alumni of the 1995 Mets.
What do the Cardinals and Pujols do now?
Craig Calcaterra explains why he expects that today’s negotiations deadline was a soft one and that Albert Pujols will eventually get his extension from the Cardinals, and it all seems to make sense. But the Mets have all that money coming off the books next year and a young first baseman with a good arm who’s supposedly willing and able to move to right field, so, you know, we can dream.
You’re purchased?
The Wilpons said they will not sell a controlling stake, and Trump isn’t known to be a passive investor.
“That’s been the rumor,” he said.
Asked whether he would consider investing without gaining control, Trump responded: “I haven’t thought that far down the line. We’ll see what happens.”
Major League Baseball has rules against casino ownership by its team owners, which could prove an impediment if Trump chooses to make a deal with the Wilpons.
“If I can help, great,” Trump said. “And it not, that would be OK.
– Ronald Blum, Associated Press.
A couple people asked me about this so I figured I should weigh in. My opinion: Meh.
Sure sounds to me like another case of, “Hey, here’s a famous rich guy with ties to New York, let’s ask him if he wants to buy the Mets” and then the famous rich guy being like, “well, now that you mention it, I am really rich, and I do like being famous, so let me say nothing particularly committal to see if I can get my name in the headlines for a couple of days because I so enjoy that.”
In other words: I’d be pretty surprised if Donald Trump ends up with a minority or majority share of the Mets anytime soon. For one thing, and as I’ve said before, there are lots of non-famous rich people out there who are probably equally likely to buy a share of the team (and who would presumably be more content to be silent partners) as any famous rich people. Second, I bet that casino thing is a pretty big deal for MLB. The league does not look kindly upon involving the sport with gambling.
People seem to have pretty strong opinions about Trump one way or the other, but I haven’t followed enough of his business ventures or TV show to know much about him besides that he’s got silly hair and seems like something of a blowhard. Some say he singlehandedly ruined the USFL. While I go read about that, enjoy this Photoshop from reader Glenn:
How starting rotations work
FuquaManuel at Phillies Blog The Good Fight does a nice job dispelling some of the myths about starting rotations that I often rail against here.
OK, help me here
The back cover of my Daily News this morning:
The article inside explains what the cover says: Even though the Nuggets’ asking price is “insane” — three starters, a draft pick and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract — the Knicks must trade for Carmelo Anthony.
OK, I’ll admit that I’m far from an expert in the workings of NBA front offices and I’m consistently baffled by the salary-cap maneuvering and everything else, so help me out here: Why is it so advantageous for the Knicks to get Anthony now?
Put aside for now the idea held by some that Anthony is overrated, a one-dimensional scorer. For the purposes of this discussion, let’s amount that he’s a great player who will help the Knicks win and will absolutely deserve the max contract he’ll soon receive from someone (either in free agency or as a more lucrative extension).
So to acquire ‘Melo now, the Knicks would reportedly have to give up five valuable properties including three starters, all of whom are pretty young and pretty good. Replaceable? Probably, but probably not with guys currently on the roster. Chauncey Billups, rumored to be part of the deal, would help.
But the Knicks are currently above .500 in February for the first time in lord-knows how long, and appear in good position to make the playoffs as currently constructed. ‘Melo brings in marketing dollars and sells tickets and all that, and I suppose that’s a consideration. But he has stated, I believe on multiple occasions, his interest in joining the Knicks.
Doesn’t that mean they’d have a pretty good shot at landing him this offseason, when the price would only be money? And couldn’t they always take their chances with their current squad, then try to trade for and extend Anthony between the end of the season and June 30, when the cost in players will presumably be much less?
It kind of reminds me of this thing, again. Trading for Anthony now is giving up an “insane” package for a few months and the exclusive right to sign him to an extension, when you might very well be able to secure that same right after the playoffs end or just sign him as a free agent in the offseason. Am I missing something? Does Donnie Walsh’s apparently tenuous hold on his position somehow factor in?
ALERT: Severe awesomeness warning
Tedquarters 