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Showing posts from December, 2023

centerfieldmaz Top Albums of 2023

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ROLLING STONES - HACKNEY DIAMONDS METALLICA - 72 SEASONS NITA STRAUSS- THE CALL OF THE VOID GRACE POTTER - MOTHER ROAD EXTREME - SIX BURNING WITCHES- THE DARK TOWER SOPHIE LLOYD - IMPOSTER SYNDROME THE STRUTS - PRETTY VICIOUS LUCINDA WILLIAMS - STORIES FROM A ROCK & ROLL HEART JOE BONAMASSA - MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY TARJA - DARK CHRISTMAS MAMMOTH WVH - MAMMOTH II ALICE COOPER - ROAD DOLLY PARTON - ROCKSTAR MEGAN MORONEY - LUCKY LAINEY WILSON - BELL BOTTOM COUNTRY DORO- CONQUERESS FOREVER STRONG & PROUD GIRLSCHOOL- WTFORTYFIVE IN THIS MOMENT - GODMODE GODSMACK - LIGHT UP THE SKY STARBENDERS - TAKE BACK THE NIGHT FROZEN CROWN - CALL OF THE NORTH GRETA VAN FLEET - STARCATCHER IGGY POP - EVERY LOSER WITHIN TEMPTATION - BLEED OUT IAN HUNTER - DEFIANCE PART 1 SERAINA TELLI - ADDICTED TO COLOR

Phil Bickford: Former Mets Relief Pitcher (2023)

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Phillip Roger Bickford was born July 10th, 1995, in Newbury Park, California. The six-foot four right hander attended California State University getting drafted in the 18th round of the 2015 draft by the San Francisco Giants.  In 2016 he & Andrew Susac were traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Will Smith. Bickford made his MLB debut  on September 1st giving up four runs in a 12-1 loss to the Tigers.  In 2021 a fter one game with the Brewers, he was placed on waivers & was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers. 2021 Post Season: Bickford did not pitch in the NLWC. In the NLDS he made three appearances pitching 2.1 scoreless innings in the win over the Giants. In the NLCS he made three more appearances, allowing no runs on three hits, striking out four in 3.2 innings of work in the loss to the Braves. In 2022 he was 2-1 with a 4.72 in 60 appearances for the Dodgers. He struck out 67 batters in 61 innings of work. He did not pitch in the NLDS loss to the Padres. Bickford started t

Roy Partee: Legendary Mets Scout (1962 - 1985)

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Roy Robert Partee was born September 7, 1917, in Los Angeles, California. Partee would sign with the Boston Red Sox and make the major leagues in 1943.  Playing Career: He got the job as the Sox main catcher, hitting .281 in 96 games, but had no power in his bat, not hitting a single HR. In fact, in 1090 career at bats he only hit two career HRs. The following season he was called for military duty to serve in World War II but was rejected due to a bad ankle. Roy rejoined his team & posted the 2nd best fielding percentage among catchers at .989. He hit both of his two career HRs that season while driving in 41 runs, but his average fell to .243. At the end of the year, he enlisted in the military on his own, at San Pedro California & served until the War ended.  In 1946 he came back to the Red Sox but had lost his starting job to Hal Wagner. That year the Red Sox won 104 games & went to the World Series to face the St. Louis Cardinals. Partee played in just 40 games h

Ruben Gotay: Former Mets Infielder (2007)

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Ruben Bruce Gotay was born on Christmas Day 1982 in Puerto Rico. The infielder was drafted at 17 years old in the 31st round of the 2000 draft by the Kansas City Royals.  In 2004 he batted .289 at AAA getting himself a call up to the Royals.  MLB Career:   He played in 44 games for the 2004 Royals hitting .270. The next season he saw action in 86 games, playing 81 of those games at second base for the Royals where he posted a .980 fielding %. Although at the plate his batting average fell off to .227 with 5 HRs & 29 RBIs. He was back in the minors the next season. In July of 2006 he was traded to the New York Mets for Jeff Keppinger.  Keppinger who was once considered a fine prospect in the Mets organization went on to have a good career in Cincinnati & Houston.  In 2010 he batted .288 with 34 doubles 6 HRs & 59 RBIs for Houston, posting the leagues 4th best fielding % for second baseman at .989. Looking back this was a terrible Omar Minaya trade & instead of havin

Jeff D'Amico: Early 2000's Italian / American Mets Pitcher (2002)

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Jeffrey Charles D’Amico was born December 27, 1975, in St. Petersburg Florida. The tall six-foot seven right hander was known as “Big Daddy". He was the Milwaukee Brewers first round draft pick (23rd overall) in the 1992 draft. D'Amico went 13-3 with a 2.39 ERA in his first minor league season at A ball Beloit. MLB Debut: He came up to the Brewers rotation in June of 1996, making his first start against the Texas Rangers pitching 5.2 scoreless innings for the win. As a rookie he went 6-6 with a 5.44 ERA on the season. He earned a spot in the following year’s rotation where he went 9-7, third most wins on the staff with a 4.71 ERA.  Injuries set him back over the next two seasons, but he returned in 2000 to win 12 games (12-7) tops of the Brewers staff along with Jimmy Haynes. He posted a 2.66 ERA (third best in the AL). He walked only 46 batters in 162 innings pitched, giving him the fourth best strike out ratio in the AL. In 2001 he was expected to lead the Brewer

Bobby Klaus: Mid Sixties Mets Infielder (1964-1965)

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Robert Francis Klaus was born December 27, 1937, in Spring Grove, Illinois. Klaus attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign getting signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1959. In 1962 he was the Pacific Coast League’s All Star second baseman while playing at AAA San Diego. Klaus made his MLB debut against the Houston Astros on April 21, 1964, as a pinch hitter, getting no official at bat, because a runner was caught stealing. For the 1964 Reds he briefly filled in at second base, replacing a struggling young Pete Rose. Rose was hitting under .200 for a time, but Klaus was no better. He only batted .183 with two HRs & six RBIs in 93 at bats. Rose got his hitting together, took over second base & became the all-time hits leader. Klaus hit both his HRs of that season in mid-June in back-to-back games, on the road in Houston & San Francisco. That July Klaus’ contract was purchased by New York Mets. Mets Career: Klaus was brought in to replace Ron Hunt  the