The WiFi network my hosts have here in Boston is named “Cracker bangs.” I’ve asked them not to elaborate.
I’m on a short vacation, celebrating some good news a friend has received, and doing it with steakhouses and episodes of Mad Men I’ve missed. There’s a cat here who plays fetch. I’m more of a dog person, and I think she (the cat) can sense it, as my right hand has been scratched in a number of places.
I’ve also been thinking about pitchers. I suppose I should be thinking more about left fielders, or even catchers. But no one need is greater than the other. The objective is to build a team here, chumlies. Chumleys?
I have more to that point. As has been my trademark excuse over the past few hideous weeks: later.
If you recall:
The exercise was to visit Cot’s Baseball Contracts
website, take a look at each position need, and determine who’s worth
spending time and energy on. The assumption here is that
everyone who’s on the Mets’ case for having deep pockets and a shallow
farm pool are correct, and that it would be better to spend money than
trade prospects.
What I came to while talking first basemen is that I can find odd justifications for spending time and energy. Chad Tracy? Yes. Nomar Garciaparra? No. Broad and moody, like a female weightlifter on steroids.
The Cot’s list for potential free-agent starting pitchers is as long as my arm (not realistically; for a true comparison, see Joe Buck’s remarkably short arms). And as I said, I’m on vacation. So instead of detailing EVERYONE whom the Mets shouldn’t call, I’ll pull out the most terrifying of possibilities.
With apologies to Whitney Houston and the remarkable way she’s come back from her substance abuse problem: if any one of these guys finds himself in a Mets uniform next year, someone in the front office was smoking crack.
Brandon Backe (HOU): Not even as a reliever, which is how he was used this year, with the exception of a start against the Rangers in mid-June.
Daniel Cabrera (ARZ): Thought he was kickin’ it with the Natinals.
Jose Contreras (COL): I’d say the bloom is off the rose, but I was never on the Contreras bandwagon, even when it was chuggin’ hard in 2005. Don’t believe me? Go back in time and check.
Doug Davis (ARZ): I was calling for him in early July. Took it back in early August, I think.
Tom Glavine (ATL): Isn’t he retired? Can’t we do something to force that particular issue?
Mike Hampton (HOU): It’s not the year 2000. Ask the gentleman directly above.
Livan Hernandez (WAS): Remember that scene in Pi where Sean Gullette trepans himself? Exactly.
Brett Myers (PHI): James Kannengieser of Amazin’ Avenue is all over this one.
Carl Pavano (MIN): Monkey’s Paw! He’s a Monkey’s Paw!
Odalis Perez (WAS): One O. Perez on the Mets is quite enough.
Sidney Ponson (KC): Bats right, throws right, punches with both hands. Next.
Jason Schmidt (LAD): When Joe “Uno Mas” Torre thinks your career may be over, your career is probably over. Shame.
John Smoltz (STL): I’d rather have a stroke.
I’m kidding of course. But I’d rather the baseball equivalent of a stroke. Which might be Tom Glavine.
…There. I’ve just explained September 30, 2007.
Ah, single-sentence snarkiness and borrowed humor. I am a blogger again.
As I mentioned, I’m on a short vacation, so my posting regularity will run inverse to the availability of steak and beer. But just to show you all that it’s not all been fun and games, here are a couple of photos showing where I was yesterday afternoon:
omniality
Section Five Twenty-Eight 
Whispers are that Contereas might be on the way to the Japanese League soon, but you never know.
Backe actually was a reliever for the first time since he left Tampa Bay only because of his injury, and the Astros not wanting to have another starter at the time.so Brandon adapted.
I saw Nomar out when he was here with the A’s in St. Petersburg, and I called him “Mr. Hamm”.
He was a bit annoyed, but also laughed it off.
Always find it wierd that she is more popular in So Cal than he is.
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com