Thursday, April 17, 2008

Deja Vu, All Over Again, Except Different....


Or should I say, with a different team, but the same type of outfield.

Before I confuse you any more, here's a hint: What do Jay Payton (see my Stupid list on the left) and Roger Cedeno have in common with Wily (everytime I see that name, I think of Wile E. Coyote, heh heh heh) Mo Pena and Lastings Milledge?

Answer: Don't be stupid, of COURSE the answer is that they are possibly two of the worst outfield combinations that have ever had the misfortune (for their teams, that is) of playing major league baseball.

Most of us Mets fans remember the, uh, unfortunate combo of Payton/Cedeno, in center field and right field, respectively in, I think it was, 2002. Their motto that year was "Payton and Cedeno... every ball is an adventure." And truer words were never spoken.

Watching Pena and Milledge out there the past couple of days has indeed brought back memories. And not such good ones.

So, thanks for the memories, boys.

And thanks for our outfield of today, Mets. Even if Shirley Beltran is still on the Little Pussies List!

15 comments:

thekingofsnark said...

watching Lastplace try to field his position, and watching the absolute professionalism we are getting from Church and Schneider make this trade so worth it.

Oh, and Payton was a lot better than you remember

Deb said...

Payton was by far the dumbest player ever to make the major leagues, imo.

I remember when he was a Met, that when he got to first base, I would already count him as half an out, because of his propensity for getting picked off, thrown out stealing, lollygagging, picking his nose, and doing just plain dumb things on the bases. The man had absolutely no instinct for being on, or running, the bases.

So one day I'm at a game with my niece and her then boyfriend. Payton had already been traded to the Rockies, and was playing that day for them. As he was standing on third base, I turn around and start to tell my niece's boyfriend to watch him, he's the worst baserunner I ever saw, when he promptly gets picked off. I shit you not.

One of my finest moments. Made me look like a genius.

Thanks, Jay. :)

Deb said...

BTW, snark, I think I figured you out. Do you bear the s/n of a one-time-Met with the first name of Mike?

thekingofsnark said...

i don't care what everyone else says about you, you are as sharp as a marble

rob karter said...

Morning Debs...last night was one of the few games over the past years where I couldn't stay up to watch the end...I think I made it thru 12, but not sure.

On a high note Sanchez threw great, but I was a little confused on why Willie took him out after retiring two batters in his final inning, while looking so good. Feliciano in the past has shown that at times he needs a little 'warm up' period when coming into a game, so i wasn't surprised by his walk to his first and only batter.

I would have just left Sanchez in to record the final out. It was a tie game at the time and you never know how long these things can go and I just thought it was fruitless to bring in Feliciano and then unfortunately Smith to close out the inning. They both could have been saved, imo.

Rob-
:)

Deb said...

Sharp as a marble, huh?

You snarky bastard *wink* lol! :)

Deb said...

Rob, I just don't know, and was also asleep (ssshh! don't tell anyone, though, lol), and I think (this just in, lol) that managers sometimes make moves just to make them, although I'm sure Willie had a reason.

And you are exactly correct, at least, imo, that who knows given the inactivity of the Mets' bats last night how long the thing could have gone.

But as I said, I'm sure Willie had a reason, *snicker,* but it'd be nice to know what it was, huh?

Hey, maybe I can invite Willie here to explain...tee hee hee!

thekingofsnark said...

taking out Sanchez is the right move, they don't really want him pitching in back to back games, and had pressed their luck w/ it already, they had the matchup they wanted w/ pedro

Deb said...

*Snort*

So YOU say, snarkie-poo... so YOU say!

I kind of have to agree with Robs here, it was already the 12th inning, why burn a guy when the guy you have in is already doing the job, and seemingly cruising along?

Matchups, schmatsups. Once into extra innings, you have to conserve, baby, conserve your pitching. I understand that Dirt McGirt (thanks, Coop!) had pitched in back to back games, but hell's bells, snarkie, are these guys somehow made of dust and feathers? Look, I know Dirt is coming off of a very serious injury, but give me a f-g break already with this baby crap. :)

Hobie said...

Oh, Deb.

If he had left Duaner and LHB Johnson doubles in a run with Feliciano holding his ball(s) in the pen--you'd be the FIRST to scream.

You so seem to want things to fall apart so you can vent. Calm down and enjoy -- please.

And I'm not sure what JayPay did to you, and probably, I don't want to know. But he was clearly no worse than the 4th worst defensive outfielder on the 2002 NYM (after Roger C, Timo, & Jeremy): 63 starts, 6A, 1E.

Deb said...

Hobes, I distinctly remember watching the Alphonse and Gaston type of play from the Cedeno/Payton combo, and I don't place much stock in stats, to be honest. Lots of stuff, LOTS, doesn't show up in the stats, boyo! *wink*

Hey, I'm not criticizing Willie for making the move from Dirty to Feliciano, I'm simply wondering, as Robs did, why he made it. Like I said, it's too late in the game to waste a pitcher, and Dirty's throwing good, and I really think this matchup shit goes way too far. In fact, I think some managers just make the matchup moves just so they DON'T have to suffer criticism from the fans or the bloggers or the press, because it's done in the "conventional wisdom" way.

And you may be right, Hobes - venting is my stock in trade, as it were! :)

thekingofsnark said...

feliciano has to come in vs. Johnson there

Sanchez has missed a whole season+ we aren't privvy to the reports re: his arm strength/ recovery, etc.....April is not a time to be macho so you don't get put on some Big Feline list. It's a time to err on the side of caution, so we have less Aaron Heilman in big spots down the stretch

Great move by Willie

Deb said...

I see the man logic there, but then, I'm not a man, and I'm not Willie, either, and you're right, we don't know all the details.

But it's fun speculating, and wondering, and questioning, lol.

Like I've said, if it were within the regulation game, I wouldn't even question it. But because it's already into the 12th inning with no reasonable end in sight, considering the ennui of the bats last night... well, it's worth taking a look at the move, at the very least. :)

Hobie said...

>> Like I've said, if it were within the regulation game, I wouldn't even question it. But because it's already into the 12th inning .. >>

Heh-heh. Your opinion of “conventional wisdom” explains a lot. CW says: in regulation, with a dozen or so AB’s guaranteed, get that extra out from a guy who isn’t obviously out of gas; in the last inning (which every extra-inning is) you play the end game. In this specific case, do everything possible not to let LHB Johnson beat you. BTW, I would have let Duaner pitch to Johnson.

Deb said...

:)

Hobes, I never let anything get in my way -- you ought to know that by now.

And I would have let Dirt McGirt pitch to Johnson, as well. Gotta get these guys some marbles, Hobes! :)