a700hitter

And there was no whining and they didn't expect a pat on the back.

Based on what I saw this year of XB and the rest of the league, I think it would be a well-deserved award. I don't know what the metrics indicate, but I would be surprised if he didn't show up well in those metrics.

Oh and by the way, f*** off Sox and Cycles.

I appreciate that you have a good sense of humor and that you recognize humor without taking offense. BTW, my Dad was a Phys Ed instructor, gymnast and wrestler before serving in WWII. When I was a kid I can remember my dad (then in his mid-40s) taking me to the park and doing handstands on the monkey bars. It frightened me but I thought it was normal for a Dad to do that. LOL. When he retired at age 65 from his factory job on the night we took him out to dinner to celebrate, he was talking about how he still felt pretty young. With that he said, "I'll bet I can still do a headstand into a handstand" and there he was in the living room in the headstand trying to push up into the handstand. One side was not cooperating and his face was getting pretty red, but he was determined and he didn't want help. Finally, I convinced him to stop before he had a stroke on a night honoring him. Boy was he pissed. No one worked harder than my father. He worked in his father's gas station from age 8 until his father lost the business in the Depression. Then it was the gym and factory work broken up only by a world war. I can never remember him missing work except for holidays and 2 weeks vacation every year.

I can't think of a lot of defensive standouts at SS in the AL except for Iglesias.

And Mets fans have the misfortune of sharing the same city and living with them.

We disagree. Good pitching is the way to produce consistent success, imo, especially since offense does slump.

deGrom seemed to abandon his breaking stuff last night and he didn't come inside at all.

There is a lot more scrutiny in Boston, and that creates a degree of aggravation for players. I think the added aggravation has a price tag and that the Red Sox pay a premium because of it. Is it too much for a player to handle? I would say that is not true in most cases, especially for established star pitchers. They are used to being the man in the spotlight with the game in their hands. Greinke has been in All Star games and post seasons and performed well. He is used to the spotlight. Will he want to cope with the off field nonsense? Hopefully, we can put a reasonable price on that. He will be making so much money that we might not be able to pay him enough to deal with the extracurricular nonsense. He is the best pitcher available.

The Blue Jays and their GM Anthopoulos have parted ways. That is surprising.

Met fans are largely the descendants of suffering Brooklyn Dodger fans who hate the Yankees with a passion. Except for 1986, they have always been a pretty tame crew. And Yankee fans look down on them like second class citizens.

He is now a Gym Teacher. Best wishes Ben.

The His flaw was building a pitching staff. That was his blind spot and no matter how good your offense is, you need pitching to win. Ben couldn't finish the job.

f*** the Yankees by the Mets winning. I live among the Yankee fans. I want them humbled and hiding in the off season.

I hope that is not true.

Grandy with a home run for a 2-1 lead.

Bogaerts would still get it done for Harvey, imo. I just don't see the Red Sox offering an everyday star at a premium position for a pitcher.

Yes, although the contract makes me shudder.

I read an article that said that Ben had been in negotiations for an extended period with Columbia University. The sticking point in the negotiations was the job description. Ben was very opposed to the position being called Gym Teacher. Columbia countered with Phys Ed teacher and Ben still balked. In the end, the parties came to an agreement.

Unlike many other GM's who mislead at times by being deliberately vague about future moves, he was always very straightforward about his intentions. When he said that he liked our pitching last off season, I knew that there would be no additions to our staff prior to the start of the season. He didn't say it to be coy or not to telegraph his moves. He said it, because he believed it. You could take it to the bank. He was terribly wrong so his statement ended up in my signature. I guess I will have to retire both parts of my signature.

My impression of him is that he is a stand up straight shooting guy -- a humble guy who always was accountable for the team's performance. Maybe he was too honest/nice of a guy to be a GM. Good luck to him.

Is this the kind of position that Duke had while he was on hiatus? It certainly seems like a low pressure position.

I think he will hurt his chances greatly if he sits out a year. If he chooses to sit out the year, I think that is a very foolish decision. If he doesn't want to be a GM, that is another story, but anything else is a demotion.

Osuno did not have the command issues that Sanchez had. His command had been remarkable even for a veteran. Sanchez had had a very spotty year and he was not at the same stage of development as Osuno. Osuno at age 20 is a bit of a freak in his consistency and composure in big spots. You are making a false choice. Osuno was the established closer of that team. As between Sanchez and Lowe, he had to go with Lowe in that spot. It wasn't time for the closer in the 7th inning.

I think Bradley could do it, if he continues his hot hitting in the first half of next season. I don't think his second half of 2015 will be enough to get Harvey in the off season. The Mets don't think they need OFers. They love Conforto and they still have Grandy and Lagares under contract. They desperately need a SS and if they lose murphy to FA or should they move him to first base, they will need a second baseman (Betts natural position).