The 'Ropolitans

10/23/08

Link: Q&A with Ted Berg

Check out a good friends blog, Mets Fans Forever, for an interview of SNY.tv's Ted Berg.

There was a bit of a hubbub when Jason Bartlett was named the MVP of the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, it is undeniable he is the hero. Free tacos for everyone!

Thanks to Bartlett's stolen base in the fifth inning, everyone in America will be able to stop by Taco Bell on Oct. 28, between 2 - 6 p.m. for one free taco.

Genius move on Taco Bell's part. No way, no how, is someone going to go to Taco Bell and only have one measly taco. They're bound to buy something else, especially a drink if you're as sensitive to spicy food as I am. (I can't even eat Chex Mix. And I mean the normal, completely normal Chex Mix. I'm a wuss, I know.)

Anyway, I'll be heading out next Tuesday to pick up my free taco, and if you join me, you must thank Jason Bartlett.

Big League Stew grabbed a screen cap of the wonderful graphic.

10/22/08

Eight years ago today: Bat-gate, the Piazza / Clemens bat toss

Now doesn't that make you feel old?

Eight years ago, Oct. 22, 2000, was that fateful meeting between Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza in the World Series.

The at-bat was highly anticipated, thanks to Clemens beaning Piazza in the head in July of that year, and it did not pass without incident. I'm sure you all remember the bat shattering, Clemens retrieving a shard of that bat, and flinging it in Piazza's direction.

Clemens still maintains he was "just tossing" the bat away, but no one in their right mind couldn't see the intent from The Rocket.

I'll never forget that moment. It was one of the games I actually stayed awake for (I was 11).

Frozen in time, Clemens rearing back to deliver the piece of bat in the direction of Piazza:

Does that look like "just a toss" to you?? Yeah, right!

We still miss you, Mike. Maybe he can be the next third base coach?

Johnson and Warthen are coming back, maybe Alomar too

Good. Even better that there is no mention of Luis Aguayo returning.

Marty Noble has a new article up on MLB.com where he says, "The club has all but decided to retain the respective pitching and hitting coaches, and it is inclined to bring back another incumbent, Sandy Alomar Sr., who served as Manuel's bench coach."

Dan Warthen will continue to do what he does best: fix young pitchers (Pelfrey and Maine) and keep his hands off of the big guy (Johan).

HoJo has no need to go anywhere. Yes, you could complain about the lack of timely hitting and how quiet the bats went during the last week of the season, but there is only so much a coach can do. He did his job, the players just failed to pull through at the plate. I also liked to hear from Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling how broken up HoJo was after the last game of the season. I like that kind of emotion in the game.

Alomar Sr., I really have no problem with. He seems to be a close friend of Jose Reyes, and anything that makes Jose happy, makes me happy too.

Aguayo needs to go. Give me Wally Backman.

World Series predicition time

Everyone know I've been pulling for the Rays (even if I didn't pick them to make it through the ALCS). Everyone also knows how much I despise the Phillies. Still, here is my completely unbiased World Series prediction.

Rays in seven.

For one, I think the six day layoff is going to hurt the Phillies. They were running on some great momentum from the end of the regular season, then against the Brewers and the Dodgers. This near-week break period will not be beneficial.

Also, I don't think the Phillies have great pitching. Yes, they have Cole Hamels, and he's the main reason the Phillies are going to string this out to seven games, but Brett Myers and Joe Blanton are bound to get beat up, and the Rays have the offense to make that happen.

The bullpen will be the main problem for the Rays. They need their young rotation to go deep into games, and hope their offense comes along for the ride, too. The "bullpen by committee" thing can only work so many times (we all saw it not work in Game 5).

I think the Rays will lose Game One, win the next two, lose the fourth and fifth, and then win two in a row to take it. That will be an exciting series, eh?

So, once more: Go Rays!

(I must say, I absolutely love the 2008 World Series logo. It's awesome.)

Shea Stadium is naked

No more seats. The field is a mess. Slowly but surely, Old Shea is disappearing.

WCBS 880 AM (via River Avenue Blues) has a spectacular gallery of Shea Stadium.

Here's the photo that was on RAB:

One of the comments on that Yankees blog really makes me happy. Steve says:

I drive by Shea every day on my way to work and I noticed the seats gone a few weeks ago. Didn’t notice the outer facade being taken down, though.
BTW-The new Citi Field is absolutely gorgeous.

Citi Field, here we come. A new season, a new stadium, and maybe a new direction for the franchise.

10/21/08

Playing for Peanuts [ep. #1]

You may have caught some of this show on SNY before, and it's truly a wonderful documentary. If you don't know about it, the director explains it as follows: "Playing for Peanuts" is a new TV show about minor league baseball. The show uses reality TV and documentary techniques to follow the South Georgia Peanuts in their inaugural season. The Peanuts are made up of a mix of rookies and veterans, all hoping to get back into affiliated minor league baseball. The Peanuts are managed by former Major League second baseman Wally Backman.

Here is the first episode, broken up into four separate videos. Please visit PlayingForPeanuts.com for more information.

Ep. 1.1

PRODUCER COMMENTARY

Download this segment for your iPod/iPhone for 99 cents - CLICK HERE

Download this entire episode (20+ minutes) for your iPod/iPhone for only $3.99 - CLICK HERE

VIEW MORE EPISODES

VISIT PLAYING FOR PEANUTS - WEBSITE and BLOG

Ep. 1.2

What is 92.3 HD3?

As you may have heard, the Mets have re-upped with WFAN to broadcast their games in 2009, and beyond. Part of the deal will have the Mets pre- and post-game segments, along with the full game, simulcast on 92.3 HD3.

Now you're probably asking: What the heck is that??

Here's the gist: WXRX, or as you probably know it, 92.3 K-Rock, has been through a lot of changes over the past few years. I grew up knowing it as an alternative rock station, with Howard Stern on in the morning.

A few years ago, they tried to go a new direction, and switched their name and programming to 92.3 WFNY, Free FM, a completely talk radio station. That failed, and they brought back K-Rock.

As part of the programming change, and as technology changed, they added HD Stations. A HD-FM station can only be recieved on a HD-FM capable reciever.

What happens is that you tune to the particular channel, in this case 92.3 FM, but there are also substations to that frequency. K-Rock would be on HD1, the Mets will be on HD3. HD3 was primarily used to simulcast all WFAN.com broadcasting, meaning the Mets games were left out.

They say the broadcast is CD quality, so that will be a definite upgrade from an AM channel, even if there is up to a minute delay between HD3 and 660 WFAN.

If you're lucky enough to have an HD radio in your car, you'll be able to listen to a much better quality broadcast of the Mets in 2009.

Awkward ad placement

I was browsing Rays Index late last night, and two of their little AdSense boxes caught my eye. I know they're automatically generated by keywords on the page, but still, this is just a tiny bit awkward.

Click for full size.

Go Rays.

10/20/08

Mets officially stick with WFAN, going FM too

Somebody was listening! The Mets are sticking with WFAN, and will also broadcast on an FM station!

From the press release (via David Lennon):

WFAN will produce exclusive Mets programming with players and coaches, daily highlights packages, and pre-game and post-game reports both on-air on WFAN-AM 660 and on the station’s online audio stream at www.wfan.com. For the first time, all of the station’s Mets content, including game broadcasts, will be available on FM radio at 92.3 HD3.

The agreement keeps the Mets on WFAN (and HD3) for 2009 "and beyond."

Well how about that! First of all, I'm excited for Feb. 2009 because baseball will be starting again, but now I can listen on 92.3 for non-whining and screeching broadcast of the team. Thank goodness.

Update from commenter Adam:
You can only listen on 92.3 if you have a HD radio- that's what the HD3 means - they'll be on an HD substation. You won't get any Mets on your "regular" FM radio

Well, shucks. There goes that.

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