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Showing posts from October, 2015

Remembering Murray the Cop (Al Molinaro)

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(A break from baseball) as a huge fan of the Odd Couple original TV series, as well as Happy Days it is with sadness we learn of the passing of one of TV's greatest all time character actors: the Great Al Moliaro............ Umberto Francesa Molinaro was born on June 24th 1919 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In English his name translates to Francis Albert Molinaro which he became known as Al. He was one of ten children born to Italian immigrants, who were prominent in the Italian Community of Kenosha. His father owned a restaurant / tavern & helped fund hundreds of Italian immigrants in coming legally over to America. After getting married he moved to California & worked as a collection agent as well as a realtor. A real estate investment that became a large retail shopping mall made him wealthy enough to peruse his dream as an actor. In the sixties he had minor roles on Bewitched (1971 episode- Bewitched, Bothered & Baldoni. where he plays a guide in Rome), Green Acr...

2015 National League East Champion New York Mets Pitching Leaders

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2015 Mets Pitching Leaders WINS 14 Jacob deGrom 14 Bartolo Colon 13 Matt Harvey STRIKEOUTS 205 Jacob deGRom 188 Matt Harvey 166 Noah Syndergaard WHIP 0.979 Jacob deGrom 1.000 Jeurys Familia 1.019 Matt Harvey 1.019 Hansel Robles 1.047 Noah Syndergaard ERA 1.85 Jeurys Familia 2.54 Jacob deGrom 2.67 Sean Gilmartin 2.71 Matt Harvey 3.24 Noah Syndergaard Games 76 Jeurys Familia 59 Carlos Torres 57 Hansel Robles STARTS 31 Bartolo Colon 30 Jacob deGrom 29 Matt Harvey 29 Jon Niese INNINGS 194 Bartolo Colon 191 Jacob deGrom 189 Matt Harvey 176 Jon Niese 150 Noah Syndergaard Walks per 9 Innings 1.1 Bartolo Colon 1.8 Jacob degrom 1.8 Matt Harvey Strikeouts per 9 Innings 10.2 Hansel Robles 10.0 Noah Syndergaard 9.9 Jeurys Familia 9.7 Jacob deGrom 8.9 Matt Harvey In the National League Mets pitchers ranked second in walks (381) third in saves (49) fourth in innings (1462) fourth in ERA (3.45) fifth...

2015 National League East Champion New York Mets Batting Leaders

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2015 Mets Batting Leaders: HRs 27 Lucas Duda 25 Curtis Granderson 17 Yoenis Cespedes 16 Wilmer Flores 14 Daniel Murphy RBIs 73 Lucas Duda 73 Daniel Murphy 69 Curtis Granderson 59 Wilmer Flores 44 Yoenis Cespedes Average .283 Daniel Murphy .263 Wilmer Flores .263 Ruben Tejada .259 Michael Cuddyer .259 Juan Lagares   DOUBLES 38 Daniel Murphy 33 Lucas Duda 32 Curtis Granderson 23 Ruben Tejada 22 Wilmer Flores   WALKS 91 Curtis Granderson 66 Lucas Duda 38 Ruben Tejada 31 Daniel Murphy 26 Eric Campbell RUNS 97 Curtis Granderson 67 Lucas Duda 56 Daniel Murphy 55 Wilmer Flores 47 Juan Lagares   On Base % .361 Curtis Granderson .352 Lucas Duda .341 Ruben Tejada GAMES 156 Curtis Granderson 142 Juan Lagares 137 Wilmer Flores In the National League Mets hitters ranked first in doubles (293) fourth in HRs (176) sixth in slugging% (.400) total bases (2201) ...

2015 Kansas City Royals Team Leaders

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As a team the 2015 Royals were first in the AL strike outs (973) second in batting (.296) hits (1497) & stolen bases (104) third in doubles (300) fourth in triples (42) sixth in runs (724) seventh in on base % (.322%) fourteenth in HRs (139) fifteenth in walks (383) ROYALS TEAM LEADERS Average Lorenzo Cain .307 Eric Hosmer .297 Kendrys Morales .290 Mike Moustakas .284 Alex Gordon .271 HRs Kendrys Morales 22 Mike Moustakas 22 Salvador Perez 21 Eric Hosmer 18 Lorenzo Cain 16 RBIs Kendrys Morales 106 Eric Hosmer 93 Mike Moustakas 82 Lorenzo Cain 72 Salvador Perez 70 hits Eric Hosmer 178 Lorenzo Cain 169 Kendrys Morales 165 Alcides Escobar 157 Mike Moustakas 156 doubles Kendrys Morales 41 Mike Moustakas 34 Lorenzo Cain 34 Eric Hosmer 33 Salvador Perez 25 Runs Lorenzo Cain 101 Eric Hosmer 98 Kendrys Morales 81 Alcides Escobar 76 Mike Moustakas 73 On Base % Alex Gordon .377 Eric Hosmer .363 Kendrys Morales .362 PITCHING As a te...

2015 National League Champion Mets Visit Jimmy Kimmel

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  David Wright, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey & Wilmer Flores drop by to visit with Jimmy Kimmel Live  

Billy Joel Plays Meet the Mets @ MSG

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MLB Suspends Public Enemy #1 Utley For Two Games

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NLDS Game #2 Dodger Stadium Los Angeles, California: In the 7th inning, with one out & two men on, Bartolo Colon (on in relief) threw what looked like a possible double play ball to Howie Kendrick. As Utley came into second to break up the play, he was no where near the base. He gave a dirty tackle /slide/ then collided with Mets short stop. Ruben Tejada. Tejada landed & broke his fibula. Although Utley took a knee to the head it still knocked no sense into him. It was the that rocked the baseball world, the biggest in Mets playoff history since Pete Rose & Bud Harrelson went at it 42 years ago. The umpires blew the call & it led to the Dodgers winning 5-2 to even the series. But now some justice has been served. MLB has suspended Chase Utley for Game 3 & 4 of the series.   The MLB man in charge of discipline Joe Torre said: "After thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that ...

2015 Italian / American ALDS Player: Chris Colabello (2013-2015)

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Christopher Adrian Collabello was born on October 24th 1983 in Framingham, Massachusetts. He grew up in Rimini Italy, located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. His mother Silvanna was originally born in Rimini & his father Lou played baseball in Italy for seven seasons. In 1984 he was part of Team Italy's baseball team. Collabello went to high school in Massachusetts & attended Assumption College there but was not drafted by any MLB team. He began a baseball career in the Independent Cam Am League from 2005 - 2011. In 2012 he signed with the Minnesota Twins as a free agent playing at AA New Britain. In 2013 he was the AAA Player of the Year hitting .352 with 24 HRs & 76 RBIs in 89 games. He had a short stay in the big leagues with the Twins that season as well. He made his MLB debut in May of 2013 & hit .194 in 55 games at that level. He started getting offers from the Korean Baseball League but did not want to give up his dream to pla...

2015 NLDS Game #2 -An Embarassment for MLB

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Mets get robbed in NLDS Game#2, period. Blown calls from a bad umpire crew & a coward replay crew hiding anonymously in New York. Chase Utley's dirty late slide into second base (which he never touched) to take out Ruben Tejada deservers retaliation. A fight should have broken out right then & there. The next Dodger batter should have gotten one to the head as well. Since it didn't, if the .212 hitting, Utley ever gets up to bat again in this series (or ever) the Mets pitcher that faces him Better throw one at his temple & not miss! How does MLB have rules not to run over catchers who are wearing protective gear & not have any rules to protect infielders from dirty plays like what happened in Game #2.

Late Nineties Mets Utility Player: Jim Tatum (1998)

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James Ray Tatum was born on October 9th 1967 in Grossmont, California.  He is the only player to ever come from Grossmont. The six foot two, right hand hitter was signed by the San Diego Padres in the third round of the 1985 amateur draft. In 1992 he was selected by the Colorado Rockies as the 44th overall pick in the expansion draft. Tatum spent seven years in the minor leagues, before getting a big league promotion, missing all of 1989. At AAA Denver in 1992 he hit .329 with 36 doubles & 101 RBIs, earning himself a September call up. In 1993 he played a career high 92 games & led the majors with 17 pinch hits, but hit just .204. In 1996 he played for the Boston Red Sox (two games) & San Diego Padres at the big league level. Tatum played 14 years in the minor leagues, hitting .292 with 1318 hits 22 HRs  275 doubles & 152 RBIs. In 1998, Tatum signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. Tatum debuted on Opening Day as a pinch hitter in the Mets 1-...

Early 20th Century New York Giants Pitching Star: Rube Marquard (1908-1914)

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Richard William Marquard was born on October 9, 1886 in Cleveland, Ohio. Marquad was the son of an Ohio engineer. He grew up making a name for himself pitching on the sandlots of Cleveland. He pitched in organized ball until he was 18 years old, against his parents' wishes he signed a contract with the New York Giants who out bid his home town Cleveland Indians. He earned the nickname "Rube" because he looked like the great pitcher Rube Wadell. The six foot three inch, pitcher threw left handed but batted right handed. He was tall & so skinny, one paper commented, that he looked like the number one on that mound. He arrived with the Giants in late 1908 just in time to witness the famous “Merkles Boner” game from the bench. He made his debut a few days later at the Polo Grounds. He hit the first batter he faced, walked the next two & then gave up a grand slam HR. It was not a good start & the fans let him have it. He was quickly labeled "the $1...