Kiner's Korner. (aka The New York Mets Thread)

Ok, so it's me Baron and AmazingB. You wanna join our club? Answer these questions:

1. Who holds the record for consecutive losses by a pitcher.

2. Who scored from third on Mookie's famous groundball in Game 6 of 1986.

3. Who coined the phrase, "Ya Gotta Believe."

4. Name the first baseman with the nickname "Marvelous".

5. Who did the Mets get in return for Nolan Ryan.

LET'S GO METS!

 

edit: oops . i'll just say i know four out of the five.

 

Well, I'm not looking to join the club but for the first question: that's what you get out of a 38th round pick.

 

Damn, me too.

 

In his defense, he was incredibly unlucky. To the point where it became humorous to a nine year old like me.

I was bitter back then, as well. Thanks, NY Mets!

 

Definitely. He needed to have some talent to actually make the Majors. That they stuck with him so long is a testament to the belief that he could actually be productive.

 

I only know 2 of those.

 

*bobbles Ralph Kiner & Bob Murphy bobbleheads in honor of the thread's grand opening*

 

Was there anything more pathetic than Kiner's Korner following a Mets loss? No one cares about you, Dale Murphy, so get off my screen.

Glad to see Baron is here. I figure that if one of us presents topics for discussion, conversation will flow much more freely. So, a question to Mets fans:

Name your most hated rival.


IMO, it's the Braves, bar none. But I could hear arguments on behalf of the Cards (after this NLCS) and the Yank$ (ehhh it's a stretch). However, you will never convince me that the Phillies are a "rival". To steal a now immortal phrase; "lol @ Philly".


Nothing was more gratifying than hearing Mets fans mocking the tomahawk chop after we swept a doubleheader that pretty much wrapped up the NL East. Suck it, Atlanta.

 

I apologize for my disappearing act.
I concur the Braves are our biggest rival. But don't forget the Cardinals had that title in the 80s and may have reclaimed it after their Houdini act last October.

As for Alou, I was turned off by his age and health at first, but if he plays regularly, he can really help the team against lefties. And his OPS is actually quite comparable to Soriano's, believe it or not.

 

Phillies-Mets rivalry was pretty strong in the 80's, when both teams were good. It also has the potential to be really good again in the future. The Braves are in a decline and rebuilding period. The Mets and Phils have 4 of the best young players (Reyes, Wright, Howard and Utley) in baseball, which should make these team division leader rivals for the next 5-10 years.

 

[image=http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/810/networkrage1e31afcuk6.jpg]

"I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell:"

LET'S GO METS!

I couldn't resist posting this, but it should be in here (actual opening words and all) anyway.

 

Hmm, it appears the Orioles raid on relievers has hit the Mets, as Bradford agreed to a 3 year/$10.5 million contract (even set up guys get to benefit from the inflated market, but I have to say Bradford is a cut above the average righty, with his gaudy inherited runners left on). Eh, at least I can root for him when the Orioles try to hold a slim lead against the Yankees they've always blown the last six years.

As for the pen, Duaner will be a bit of a question mark with his shoulder surgery, Heilman wants to start and Wagner is a year older, so there are some issues. Feliciano is a solid lefty, though his mouth is a little big. I do wish Omar held on to Henry Owens, as I'm not sure Jason Vargas will even make the rotation in Spring Training (at least I get to make Reyes and Vargas Bad Boy II jokes during games). On that note, the Mets will have a lot of guys invited to make the rotation, including Vargas, Pelfrey, Perez (that great October really helped him out), Williams (OK lefty), Zambrano (lol), Bannister and Humber (to get a taste, I guess).

I like the offense more, especially with Alou in to bring more balance to the lineup and Easley to bring some more power to the bench (Woodward was horrendous last year).

 

Easley's 2006 season stats: .233 average
9 HR's
28 RBI's
1 SB




That's bringing in more power off the bench?

 

What did I just say, fool? He still had a higher OPS (141 points!) than Woodward.

And don't come in here with that tone after the Dodgers just threw $44 million at an underachieving center fielder.

 

Underachieving?!?! He flat out sucks.

 

How about this: He will play better (most likely, hopefully) than a 39 Kenny Lofton did this year. Sure Lofton played good, and Pierre isn't Willy Mays, but he won't be so bad in center.

 

It shouldn't be that expensive to upgrade a 39 year-old Kenny Lofton.

 

If McCourt/Colletti don't re-sign Maddux because of an issue of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$, then I'll be pissed about the acquisition of Pierre.

 

Speaking of former Braves, Glavine made up his mind and ultimately made the right decision: he's staying here. He gets $10.5 million (it is a lot, but look at this market) in 2007 and options for 2008, but I think he'll just call it a career after he gets 300 (If he has a shot to do it at Shea, we should all go). For now, he can concentrate on replicating his good stretch to end the season and the playoffs.

Additionally, Omar can go into the Winter Meetings with some leverage.

EDIT: I have to post the clincher for Glavine's decision:

"I just told my 7-year-old five minutes ago that we were going back to New York, and he jumped out of his seat with excitement," the pitcher said. "They're excited about it, and that makes me excited about it."

I'd be bored out of my skull living in some Atlanta suburb too.

 

What does everyone think of the Schoeneweis signing? It does the give the Mets a true lefty specialist, but looking at the years and money, it seems like the Mets could've kept Bradford instead, who was a godsend against righties last year.

And isn't today the deadline for filing for arbitration? I assume the Mets will sign Endy before that point.

 

To answer the initial post, I think it's...

1) Al Jackson
2) Ray Knight
3) Tug McGraw
4) Marv Throneberry
5) Jim Fregosi

The Mets used to be my #2 team.