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Showing posts from June, 2016

Remembering Elvis' Legendary Guitarist: Scotty Moore (1931-2016)

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Keith Richards may have said it best: "Everyone wanted to be Elvis, I wanted to be Scottie Moore". Scottie Moore the lead guitarist for Elvis Presley on so many of his biggest songs, inspired the next generation of guitarist in the rock & roll world. Keith Richards, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Setzer, Alvin Lee, Jeff Beck, Ron Wood & Mark Knopfler, to name a few. Scotty Moore was born December 31st, 1931 in Gadsden, Tennessee. Moore began playing guitar as a child, influenced by country music as well as jazz. One of Moore's biggest influences was Chet Atkins.  Moore served in the US Navy from 1948-1952, came home & began a legendary music career. Moore & his band the Starlight Wrangler got to audition for Sam Phillips at Sun Records. It was Phillips who knew that Moore's guitar playing, Bill Blacks double bass slapping style, were going to be perfect behind a young...

2015 NL Champion Mets Italian / American Reserve Outfielder: Darrell Ceciliani (2015)

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  Darrell Ceciliani was born on June 22nd 1990 in Tracy, California. At a young age he moved to Madras, Oregon, growing up there on a family cattle ranch. In the off season he still works at the Family Farm. The six foot one left hand hitting outfielder, attended Columbia Basin College at Pasco Washington. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. Ceciliani is a good swift runner known more for speed & contact hitting rather than his power. He spent 2009 in the Rookie League at Kingsport, getting promoted to A ball Brooklyn Cyclones in 2010. He had a fine year there, making the All Star team & finishing with the highest batting average in Cyclones history, batting .351 with 21 stolen bases & 12 triples in 68 games. He credits former Met Wally Backman, the Cyclones manager at the time, as well as coach Benny Distefano for bettering his hitting. In 2011 he went to the Savanah Sand Gnats falling off to a .259 average, ...

Mets Assistant General Manager : John Ricco (2004-2016)

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John Ricco was born in Cresskill New Jersey in 1968. He attended Villa Nova University & landed a job as an intern with the AL New York club in 1991. Ricco then worked for MLB in the Commissioners office from 1992-2004. He was considered an expert in the Basic Agreement collectively bargained between the players & owners. After that he took a job with the New York Mets as an assistant to the General Manager. He worked for the Omar Minaya Mets period & served as an interim GM after his dismissal. Ricco has since worked under Sandy Alderson. In his role Ricco helps assist the General Manager as well as making sure all Sandy Alderson's decisions are legally accurate. He watches over all operations, manages the budget, monitors the waiver lines, as well as oversees all transactions & trade opportunities. Ricco also makes sure all the clubs records are correct as well as all the players contracts. Ricco was in the spotlight on May 25th 2016 af...

Mid Nineties Mets Pitcher: Jason Jacome (1994-1995)

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Jason James Jacome was born November 24th 1970 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The six foot one left handed pitcher was drafted out of a Tulsa Community College by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1991 draft. He made his MLB debut on July 2nd, getting a start against that years NL Champion San Diego Padres in Southern California. He took a loss allowing just two runs on eight hits in six innings. On July 7th he got his second start & became the first Met in twenty years to toss a shut out in his second MLB start. That day he blanked the Dodgers in Los Angeles on a six hitter. His next two starts came at Shea Stadium & he earned two more victories beating the Padres & San Francisco Giants. On July 27th he won his fourth straight game beating the Cards in St. Louis. The Mets thought maybe they were on to something but it wasn't to be. He lost two of three starts in August and was shut down for the season. He began 1995 getting a shot in the Mets rotation, his ...