Is David Stearns Being Fair to the Loyal Fans of the New York Mets?

 It is part of MLB culture that, at the trading deadline, teams not in contention for a playoff spot get rid of players with expiring contracts.  In this way, the losing team gets prospects in exchange.  Here are the moves the Mets made:

Nobody knows how these prospects will work out in the long ron

This obviously created openings in the roster that were filled:

Dedniel Núñez (RHP) – Returning after pitching in the minors on a Tommy John surgery rehab assignment.

Jefry Yan (LHP) – Bullpen reinforcement brought up to fill vacated pitching spots.

Nate Lavender (LHP) – Left-handed reliever called up following bullpen departures.

Chayce McDermott (RHP) – Acquired from the Dodgers in the Ben Rortvedt trade and immediately brought up.

Xzavion Curry (RHP) – Recalled just days after being optioned back to Triple-A

Obviously, the team has been weakened for the rest of the 2026 season.  No team wanted Polanco, Robert, or Senga.  What moves will David Stearns make in the offseason?  With a lockout looming, we don't know waht will happen.

Here We Go Again Miami Marlins 2 Mets 0

 

I think David Stearns should have fired the hitting coaches instead of the manager, since the Mets managed only 5 hits today.  As usual, they could not hit with runners in scoring position as they left the bases loaded in the 7th inning.  Joe Mack homered, Xavier Edwards added an RBI single, and Sandy Alcantara tossed six-plus solid innings for the Marlins, who won the final three games of the four-game series.  Now it is off to Cleveland.

Box Score

Article in the New York Times Summarizing Films by or About Bob Dylan

 

This article, written in December 2024 by New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson provides brief descriptions of films concerning Bob Dylan.  It is written for casual fans, not my Dylan scholar friends.  I was intrigued by this statement by Wilkinson:

"Somehow it’s not the worst movie (referring to Hearts of Fire) from this period, though. Dylan made a cameo as a painter in the 1990 drama “Catchfire” (a movie its director, Dennis Hopper, disowned). But the real stinker is “Masked and Anonymous” (2003), directed by Larry Charles and co-written by Charles and Dylan (under the pseudonym Sergei Petrov, for some reason). Dylan also stars alongside a bizarrely stacked cast. It’s set in a dystopian near-future America ruled by a dictator. Dylan is (yet again) a washed-up musician, this time named Jack Fate, who is bailed out of jail by some cynical entertainment promoters to perform a benefit concert for … America?

It’s very badly crafted, with clunky editing and a ponderous structure, but if you’re itching to hear old 1960s Dylan songs performed in weird new ways, you’re in luck."

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

Is Snail Mail Returning? I don't see it

 

There was a story on the Today Show about the return of snail mail.  I just don't see that as people are in love with text messaging.  I rarely send out letters via the postal mail.  I remember at the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Parker Pen had a pavilion where you could find a pen pal from a foreign country. In the early 1970s, when I was a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, I sent letters to my friends in NYC.  I just don't see the return of snail mail.

Forest Hills High School Class of 1967 Reunion is Announced for June

 

I have mixed feelings about reunions.  I don't hate them, but I am not jumping for joy over them either.  I've been to a few over the years, but also passed on some others.  Shelly Gabel Dinstein is organizing this one.  I knew her better in PS 139.  This reunion will be at the World's Fair Marina, which is a 10-minute drive from home.

The announcement above includes selected photos of classmates.  There were about 1000 students in FHHS class of 1967, so it is hard to predict how many will come.  Many are indifferent to reunions, while others are willing to travel long distances to reconnect with old friends.  Sadly, many of my classmates have passed away.

Check in next June for a report.

I Just Love the Bo Diddley Beat - Say Man

 

The "lyrics" are somewhat silly, but I love the Bo Diddley beat.

Mazel Tov - The Mets Beat the Dodgers 8-3

 

Of course, this has been a lost season for the Mets.  Most of the stories speculate on who will be traded at the deadline.  Nobody talks about what players the Mets should get back in return.  Let's get back to today's game.

As I entered Citi Field and walked to my seat, I observed there were as many Dodger fans as Mets fans. A Facebook friend stated Dodger fans are travelers. You see lots of them at Camden Yards as well.

The Mets fell behind 3-1, but Tyrone Taylor put the Mets ahead with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Marcus Semien added a three-run drive in the seventh.  The bullpen closed the doors on the Dodgers, and the Mets held on to an 8-3 victory.

Box Score