Not really much else to say. Beating Jonathan Papelbon while he’s on the Phillies is like sausage wrapped in bacon.
Here’s hoping Josh Thole is OK, or at least is OK soon. Wigginton’s slide looked clean and the collision unintentional to me: Wigginton is a big dude, and if he’s coming full-tilt there’s going to be a hell of a lot of momentum behind him. Thole’s face was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
During the FOX broadcast of Saturday’s Mets-Diamondbacks game, Eric Karros said something along the lines of how David Wright is not the type of player who can carry a team.
About that: No such thing. There’s no player in baseball good enough to carry a team to contention on his own with a crappy cast around him, nor has there ever been. Obviously. The best hitters of all time fail in more than half their plate appearances, and they need guys on base in front of them to score more than one run at a time when they homer. Plus there’s all that pitching to be done.
But amounting that “carrying a team” is a part of the baseball lexicon that refers to a great player going on a torrid stretch, it’s frustrating in this particular instance because that’s pretty much exactly what Wright has been doing to date in the 2012 season.
Several other Mets have enjoyed hot streaks of up to a couple of weeks at a time, but by now, really only Wright has the type of stats that jump off the team’s baseball-reference page.
Check this out: The Mets have a collective .709 OPS for the season, tied for sixth in the National League and a tick above the league average .703 mark. But replace Wright’s 108 plate appearances with 108 plate appearances of the median production that National League teams have gotten from third basemen and the Mets’ team OPS falls to .674. It doesn’t look like a massive distinction, but Wright’s performance so far has been the difference between a slightly above-average offense and a well below-average offense.
Small samples abound, of course. And nothing about that should be particularly surprising: Wright had a fantastic first month. He’s fourth in the league in batting average, first in on-base percentage and third in OPS. And apparently nothing about that suggests he’s capable of carrying a team.
Pat Gallen from PhilliesNation.com and 97.5 the Fanatic talks Phils:
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Chipper Jones exited Coors Field late Saturday night incensed that Jamie Moyer had accused him of relaying signs from second base. The Braves’ third baseman continued to talk about the incident when he returned early Sunday morning.
Jones said he believes Moyer is paranoid because he spent most of the past five years playing for the Phillies, a team the 40-year-old third baseman said is known for stealing signs….
Jones revealed on Sunday morning that his anger increased when he learned Moyer came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and told McCann, “that’s how people get hurt” in reference to his belief that some Atlanta players were stealing signs.
“At that point, I told [Todd] Helton and Tulo to tell [Moyer], because he was already out of the game by then after those 900-foot homers with nobody on base,” Jones said. “I said he could meet me in the tunnel to discuss it and I never heard back.”
Oh boy. There’s so much to chuckle at in this story, first and foremost 40-year-old Chipper Jones vaguely challenging 49-year-old Jamie Moyer to a showdown in the Coors Field tunnel.
Perhaps even funnier than that, though, is Chipper’s insistence throughout the story that he has never stolen signs, as if admitting to doing so would be a mark against his Hall of Fame candidacy. And maybe he really never has, but if not, why not? It’s not against the rules and it helps your team win. If they believe they can get away with it without earning themselves some beanballs, all players should try to steal signs. The goal is to win the game, not the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Moyer is probably especially vigilant about it because he doesn’t have much recourse. Though a 77-mph fastball to the ribs would sting the hell out of you and me, it’s probably not something Major League hitters live in fear of.
You know who probably hates sign stealing? Old-school baseball bro Cole Hamels.
I was trying to hit him. I’m not going to deny it. That’s something I grew up watching, that’s kind of what happened. So I’m just trying to continue the old baseball because I think some people are kind of getting away from it. I remember when I was a rookie the strike zone was really, really small and you didn’t say anything because that’s the way baseball is. But I think unfortunately the league’s protecting certain players and making it not that old-school, prestigious way of baseball…. It’s just, `Welcome to the big leagues.’
Whoa, is it me or has there just been a lot of tough-guy posturing from Cole Hamels the last week or so? First he publicly shuns the strawberry drink he clearly wanted, now he plunks Bryce Harper then admits it — which no one ever does — in a bizarre and mostly nonsensical tirade about old-school baseball.
Which I guess makes sense, because I know when I think about contemporary players maintaining the gritty, old-school, bloody-uniform legacy of guys like Ty Cobb, Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan, the first fella that comes to mind is this guy:
After Ruben Tejada suffered a strained right quadriceps yesterday, a Mets source told The Post that MRI exam results on the shortstop were “not good’’ and that a trip to the disabled list was “very likely” though not a given.
With two outs in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks, Tejada’s spike caught in the clay as he legged out a bunt single. He stumbled onto first base, laying motionless for a minute before being helped off the field and replaced by Justin Turner. The status of Tejada, who also sustained facial bruises on the play, remains very much up in the air, subject to further evaluation today.
“The final decision won’t be made until he’s evaluated. Tejada still thinks he can play in a few days,’’ a source told The Post.
– Brian Lewis and Mike Puma, N.Y. Post.
So per one source, it’s very likely but not a given that Tejada goes on the disabled list, Tejada thinks he can play in a few days and a final decision won’t be made until he’s evaluated. OK.
Tejada’s header was one of the worst-looking falls you’ll see on a baseball field without an obvious bone break or ligament tear. I was watching in a bar so we couldn’t hear the audio, and my friends and I watched the replay trying to figure out exactly which part of him seemed most likely to be hurting: Something in his leg prompted the fall, then he appeared to catch his wrist on the bag, then slammed his face on the ground.
If he’s actually bound for the disabled list, Ronny Cedeno can’t get back soon enough. Neither Justin Turner nor Jordany Valdespin is quite qualified to play shortstop at the Major League level. Turner will likely make the plays hit to him without covering much ground. Mets fans <3 Valdespin something fierce, I know, but Valdespin made 32 errors in 98 games at short in the Minors in 2011. Pro-rated to a full season, that’s about 50 errors. Maybe a first baseman of Ike Davis’ caliber saves him a few on throws, but it’s… well, it’s not good.
Cedeno won’t likely hit much, but he appears to be a capable and adequately rangy defender at short — something the Mets certainly need with Daniel Murphy and David Wright flanking the position and pitching staff that yields a fair amount of contact. The former Pirate, sidelined since April 21 with an intercostal strain, is set to begin a rehab assignment tomorrow and will be eligible to return on Friday.
If there’s a setback in Cedeno’s rehab, the Mets’ next best option is likely Omar Quintanilla. Quintanilla’s not on the 40-man roster and his career Major League offensive numbers are downright woeful, but he can play shortstop and, for what it’s worth, is off to a real nice start in Triple-A Buffalo. The 30-year-old has a .291/.378/.523 line through 28 games with the Bisons.
Also, if you’re still somehow greeting injuries like Tejada’s with a “here we go again, only the Mets, LOLMets” thing, you probably haven’t been paying much attention this season. From Wednesday-Saturday, the Brewers lost one starting player to injury every day — three of them requiring DL stints. The Nationals have Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, Brad Lidge and Drew Storen on the DL, among others. The Phillies are down Cliff Lee, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and two bullpen arms. The Yankees have 10 guys on the disabled list, including Mariano Rivera. The Red Sox have 11, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis and Carl Crawford.
Injuries suck, but they happen. Best-case scenario for the Mets, Tejada only needs a few days and Turner doesn’t hurt them in the interim. Worst-case scenario, a fireball from space destroys the planet. Most likely, the outcome will fall somewhere between those two.
The Mets sent Chris Schwinden back to Triple-A and selected Vinny Rottino’s contract from Buffalo today, moving Mike Pelfrey to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. And Terry Collins said that Miguel Batista will start in Schwinden’s spot on Tuesday.
Rottino you probably remember from Spring Training. He gives the Mets some flexibility defensively, since he can fill in at all four corners and behind the plate. Plus he hits right-handed, which has somehow become a plus for the suddenly lefty-heavy Mets.
Rottino’s solid career offensive numbers in the Minors are somewhat inflated by several seasons in the Pacific Coast League, though his home parks there have been more or less neutral ones. Since he seems likely to be used primarily as a bench bat, he wouldn’t be my choice for the call. But since Batista’s move to the rotation leaves the Mets short in the bullpen, there are certainly more moves to come.
If I had to guess, Batista will return to the bullpen after the spot start and the Mets will call on someone else for that spot in the rotation when it next comes up. Jeremy Hefner’s scheduled to pitch for the Bisons tonight, so he’d be scheduled to pitch again on regular rest Wednesday, then Monday the 14th. Since the Mets have an off-day on Thursday the 10th, Monday the 14th appears to be the next time they’ll need a starter in that fifth spot.
Andrew Vazzano of The ‘Ropolitans tipped me off to this gallery of “The Tastiest, Craziest American Fast Food Exports in the World.” I’ve seen similar lists before, but nearly all of these products are new to me. I suggest clicking it, checking it out, and keeping it open in another tab if you plan to read the rest of this post, in which I decide on spec whether I’d eat the fast-food exports in question.
Pizza Hut’s Dubai Cheese Burger Crown Crust Pizza: I’ve never been to Dubai and I haven’t been to Pizza Hut since an ill-fated and desperate effort to eat something recognizable while in China in 2007, but this seems like the perfect confluence of that city and that restaurant chain. Dubai boasts many of the boldest, most awesome and most ostentatious buildings in the world, and Pizza Hut loves to find new, gimmicky ways to market crappy pizza. The Cheese Burger Crown Crust Pizza combines Dubai’s apparent love for innovative, over-the-top design with Pizza Hut’s love for creating things I find hilarious and would never eat. It’s called a pizza, but it doesn’t even resemble a pizza. Verdict: Would not eat.
Taco Bell India’s Potato and Paneer Burrito: I shy away from items featuring potatoes at domestic Taco Bells, but the addition of a heretofore undiscovered Taco Bell ingredient — paneer — makes this one intriguing. Plus the photo gallery says there’s Nacho Cheese in there as well, which would mean multiple cheeses and something to remind you you’re eating Taco Bell. Verdict: Want. It’s from Taco Bell.
McDonald’s France’s McBaguette: Per the description, it’s “oblong hamburger patties topped with Emmental cheese, arugula, and mustard sauce on a convection oven’d baguette.” That sounds like it’d play pretty much anywhere. Actually, I kind of want to make that. Verdict: Would definitely eat.
McDonald’s Brazil’s Pão de Queijo: The big reveal here is that Brazilians have a “beloved cheesy bread” and I’ve somehow gone 31 years without knowing about it or trying it. Menupages lists 11 places in New York that serve it. Can anyone vouch for any of them? As for the McDonald’s version: It seems hard to screw up cheese-stuffed bread, but harder still to determine why anyone would opt to get it at McDonald’s if it’s popular locally. Verdict: Would eat if it were my only option for pão de queijo, but I can’t figure out why that would ever be the case.
Burger King Canada’s Poutine: Poutine is amazing, but the pão de queijo thing applies here as well: If you’re someplace where poutine is served elsewhere, why are you getting poutine at Burger King? Verdict: If for whatever reason circumstance put me in a Canadian Burger King, certainly.
Domino’s Pizza Malaysia’s Sambal Pizza: If I’m ever in Malaysia and eating at Domino’s, something has gone horribly awry. And I’m not much one for anchovies or onions on pizza, so I’d shy away from this even if that did happen. But the idea of sambal pizza is probably worth pursuing. Verdict: Would not eat.
Denny’s New Zealand’s Roast Lamb: Without knowing much about New Zealand beyond what I’ve learned from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Flight of the Conchords, I generally assume New Zealand operates on an entirely sheep-based economy. In fact I’m kind of surprised to see the price for this dish in dollars and instead of pounds of fleece, or that it’s not a BYOL arrangement where you show up with however much lamb meat you want to eat at Denny’s and they prepare it for you and serve it up with peas and whatever those orange things are. Also, lamb is pretty delicious, but this looks absolutely disgusting. If that’s the best product shot they could come up with, it’s terrifying to imagine what it’d look like in real life. And I’m pretty sure that gravy is hot fudge. Verdict: No.
KFC Pakistan’s Rice n’ Spice: This is “a biryani dish of rice cooked with spicy chili chicken.” I want that and I can’t imagine it wouldn’t play in domestic KFCs. Also, the gallery says Pakistani KFCs serve “an assortment of deep-fried sandwiches.” Pakistan, huh? Verdict: Want.
McDonald’s Italy’s Mozzarella Burger: There are few foods and combinations of foods to which I object on principle, and one of them is mixing mozzarella and mayonnaise. But that really goes for legit, Italian-deli fresh mozzarella, which I assume they’re not serving at McDonald’s. And a burger on a focaccia bun with basil-tomato mayonnaise and greasy McDonald’s-style mozzarella sounds like a decent novelty item for a limited run in the states. Again, not something I’d eat in Italy, despite what I suggested that one time. Verdict: Would eat once.
Sad news about Adam Yauch, aka MCA. In high school I thought the Beastie Boys were so cool that I actually drank brass monkeys a few times even though they’re completely disgusting.
I’m going to die someday, and when I die, on my deathbed, I’m probably going to say, “I should have had more cake.”
– My friend Ripps*, circa 2003.
I’ve alluded to this a couple times here and on Twitter, so I should just come with the confession: I’ve been trying to live healthy for the last month and a half.
Due to a variety of factors — both within and beyond my control — I gained a bunch of weight since last summer and I need to lose about 20 pounds. I’ve always carried a few more than I should and I’m cool with that, but my back (and just about everything else) feels better when I’m lighter. Plus, I want to do more of the Sandwich Show, and you really can’t be a fat guy cooking bacon-laden foods on video. You just can’t.
So I’ve worked out six days a week every week since I got back from Spring Training in mid-March and to date I’ve lost… about one pound. It’s not all for naught, since I’m certain I’ve gotten stronger, my endurance is better and I have more energy. But working out makes me hungry and my willpower around delicious food when I’m hungry is terrible.
My wife and I started eating salads for dinner a couple times a week, and salad is total b.s. I’m sorry. It sucks. Salad tastes like obligation, the culinary answer to the homework you need to take care of before you can play video games. Only when you’re having salad for dinner, there are no video games. Even if I have a salad with a pita and a giant piece of grilled chicken on top, I’m hungry like 15 minutes later. No exaggeration, like stomach-growling hungry.
The messed-up thing is it’s almost certainly psychological, because there’s plenty of food there — and carbs and protein and everything — and I like every individual ingredient we use in salads if they’re instead used, well, say, on a sandwich. Lettuce? Adds crunch. Cucumber? Same deal, and tasty too. Carrots? Sweet, crunchy, delicious on a banh mi. I could go on.
I realize, upon reflection, that I’ve lost weight several times before and it has never involved regularly eating salad. I just need to commit to saving half of the sandwich for later and other such nonsense. (Also, please, the Internet, don’t come at me with unsolicited nutrition and exercise advice.)
Notable exception: Taco salad.
*- Ripps, I should say, is now totally jacked. He is also responsible for opening my eyes to the merits of on-base percentage back in the mid-90s.
Tedquarters 