27.2.06

Random Spring Cleansing

We're in strange limbo at the moment. With intrasquad games coming up tomorrow and Wednesday, Met followers have been treated to the daily drama of Pedro's toe and the usual pattern of questions about weaknesses and strengths.

The Meat and Potatoes of the Mets batting order discuss the latest Crack whore video...

So far all we know is that the collective wisdom says Mets are good only on paper so far and so much hangs in the balance of not only Pedro's health, but the rest of the starting rotation's dubious but still potentially dangerous abilities and the enormous question mark of whether the combination of Duaner Sanchez and Jorge Julio is going to be sufficient to give Billy Wagner games to save.

You could chew your fingernails over who will play second and who will bat second but these are idle preoccupations of minds wilting with anticipation for what the arms will bring.

When you aren't freezing your arse off waiting for tickets, that is.

I mean dedication, wow - standing in line at 2:30 in the morning in low 20s temperatures just to be first in line, well, I dunno. Get a better job and buy the bloody tickets from a broker if you want them that bad. There's dedication and then there's mild insanity...

(Eyes Without A Face...)

Cameron Update

"Cameron arrived at 200 pounds, 10 pounds lighter than usual, wanting to capitalize on his speed and steal at least 30 bases this year.

His face shows no signs of extensive surgery, though there are nine plates and screws holding bones together. When he raises his brow, you can see a protrusion above his right eye from an imbedded plate. His upper lip and top gum still are numb.

"I'm good, though," he said. "Everything's good."


Nothing 200 strikeouts and a .220 batting average can't change...

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Meanwhile, joining Cameron on the former Met turned Padre Caravan, Mike Piazza is looking Strong In San Diego

"When the Padres recently measured the hand strength of all their players, the team's ancient catcher showed the whippersnappers a thing or two.

Mike Piazza, using his right hand, clenched a silver metal handle to send a needle spinning clockwise.

Click.

The needle screeched to a quivering stop. Piazza had maxed out the device, a dynamometer, which measures up to 200 pounds of force.

“I can't recall anyone ever doing that here,” said Todd Hutcheson, the team's head trainer since 1997."


Dynometer indeed. Wait til they get a load of his three hop throws to second base.

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Nostalgia in Seattle For Auld Boone

"Boone, who will turn 37 in April, worked with his father, former major-league All-Star Bob Boone, on refining his swing.

And he talked to other major-league stars who had gone through a similar crash. Chili Davis, now living in the Seattle area, was particularly helpful, providing the words Boone needed to hear.

"He said that it happened to him at the same age, that he lost that desire inside, and that he thought about walking away," Boone said. "He said I needed to rededicate myself if I wanted to still compete. He said he did, and he came back and had three or four more good years."


We'll settle for one more good year, 2006.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

that has to be one of the most effeminate pictures I've seen of Piazza. He looks like he should be throwing flowers to his teammates instead of baseballs.

Anonymous said...

that is absolutely the beefiest picture i've seen of piazza. he looks like he's about to pop that baseball with his strong sausage fingers. good choice of a picture to match the article, and the two together beg the question: does the strength of his clutch have anything to do with his 3-hop throws? i'm sure it does... yes, i'm sure i could fix him in 10 minutes...

Jaap said...

Yeah, get busy with that one Kyle, Team Italia need to throw out every baserunner possible to save their pitchers from having to face additional batters...