Didn't read the articles yet but yes. When he was about to break in, it was right around the time I was getting into OOTP and text sims, and remember hoping he would be the stud he was expected to be since I am a Mets fan. It was also around when I was starting to read message boards, and I remember hearing about him tearing up the Arizona Fall League on one of the old AOL boards I used to read. Back in 2000, I was a senior in high school and remember having to do some kind of project where I put together a 'Zine (blast from the past much?) that I made about the Mets and I put together an article about the future awesomeness known as Brian Cole. Wonder if I could find it somewhere...

RIP.

I don't remember, but I'm damn glad you shared that story.

Not so much a mistake as a pattern...

Umpire's blown call gives Nathan his 300th save, Rays fits | The Strike Zone - SI.com

I remembered the name, but not the story. Thanks for sharing. Brien Taylor was always a prospect that had a tragic story for me, but this is a topper.

Carlos Carrasco is an embarrassment. He should be released tomorrow.

When Nick Swisher is your best hitter you just don't have a very good lineup. It doesn't look like the Indians have much pitching either, letting a depleted Yankees lineup bash them for 25 runs in 2 games.

Vernon Wells has been a pleasant surprise thus far. When Granderson returns maybe they'll keep Wells in the lineup and bench Ichiro. Youk has been locked in as well. They might be able to tread water for a month.

+1

Lester and especially Buchholz are looking good for the Sox so far... I know everything seemingly went wrong for Boston last year (and by the last month it had), but really it was the starting pitching falling apart, and if those two are back we'll finish .500+. Lackey also looked good in the 4 innings before he injured himself!

MLB also really seems interested in pushing for an international draft by 2014 - I think it's a terrible idea (just look at how Puerto Rican talent fell off when they were included in the US draft). I know buscones are shady and no one loves having them be a part of the process, but that profit incentive really does drive talent to the sport of baseball. Plus having 30 teams competing to have the best academy in D.R./Venezuela is almost certainly better than whatever system MLB will put in. I think the new international signing cap limits the huge bonus inflation that was getting to be a problem 2-3 years ago, so I hope the measure gets voted down.

Having something named Yam Gomes instead of Santana doesn't help their lineup. Kipnis is also starting awfully slow. I don't think they are a great team, but I think they are better than they have shown so far.

very moving.

Really excited to see the Royals just keep on rolling. Little nervous after that 0-2 start, but they've gone 5-1 since and honestly should have won all six. Only real issue has been Holland as the closer, but Collins/Crow/Herrera are all closer material, so it's hard to get too worried about that. Plenty of options in the pen if one falters.

(And cue the 11 game slide)

The offense is young and will go in and out of funks. The starting pitching, however, still scares the living daylights out of me

SI

It's going to take me until at least June for this image to get old

SI

I HAVE AN IMPORTANT PROCLAMATION!!! Ladies and gentlemen, I don't believe cartman is a serial killer! At least that was the assessment I got, meeting him Opening Day in Houston :D

Then again, I don't know if I've ever met a serial killer so I could be wrong. And we did only get to chat for like 15 minutes before some guys came and sat in the seats they actually bought since it was a full house for Opening Day and all...

Oh, silly question: Anyone see the Rawlings Opening Day baseballs? They had some out at Minute Maid but the lines to get stuff were over an hour long so I passed, assuming I could get them online. However, none have shown up on ebay or Rawlings site at all. Anyone with a line on where to get one? I was annoyed last year that they had no commemorative balls at my first Opening Day and this year that they had them and I can't actually buy one anywhere :(

SI

Great article. I knew of him, as a Met fan, and I remember hearing when he died. But I had no idea, he was THAT good.

2013 Astros Ticket Pricing | astros.com: Tickets

This has me annoyed. Actually, the bad team doesn't really have me annoyed so much as getting tickets for the bad team has me annoyed. The team has gone to "dynamic pricing" but apparently the dynamic algorithm doesn't take "team suck" into account. You can see the prices and, after Ticketmaster fees are figured in, the only tickets under $20 are the $5 seats in the corner outfield (worst 5 sections).

Houston Astros vs Cleveland Indians [04/19/2013] Tickets on StubHub!
And because they were expected to be bad, there are hardly any tickets available on the secondary market as there aren't that many season tickets to dump. The cheapest seats available are still in the $15 range and those are for the $20 seats (plus about $5 in Ticketmaster fees). If you wanted to be on the lower deck and not in the outfield, the cheapest seats available through either method are $40.

Meanwhile, the team can't sell 20K tickets to any of the weekend games of opening week with 18-18-16 for Fri-Sat-Sun. But they won't have any sort of pricing deals or "dynamically" adjust the prices downward. /cheap_bastard_rant

SI

Bye Reds...

Zito does it again. Somehow he and Lincecum switched bodies.

Barry Zito for Cy Young too early?


:lol:

Fenway park 15 mintues before gametime tonight. The sellout streak (which officially ended tonight), was bullshit for a long time, but this is pretty crazy to see. Last season was really damaging to the Red Sox brand, even as they're off to a decent start this season.

Wow. That is EMPTY. Looks like a Marlins or Astros home game.

No, Westbrook for Cy Young!

:D

Hey SI,

It was great getting to meet you and the missus on Opening Day. That game didn't go quite the way I'd have liked, but Tuesday's game was pretty damn awesome. We'll have to plan to get tickets together for another game.

Agreed! I don't think we'll have to worry about crowds at future games, either :p

As evidenced by the rant above, I'm trying to get tickets for the 19th but there's nothing in a reasonable price range yet. Going to take a little patience this year, I think. We figure we won't be able to see another game until at least June with the trip coming up.

SI

Report: Mets ‘Monitoring’ Giancarlo Stanton, Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez « CBS New York

Stanton, yes, Gonzolez, no.

Neither yes. The team can use BOTH Zack Wheeler and Travis D'Arnaud. It isn't as if John Buck is going to continue what he's doing, for one, and Wheeler combined with Harvey is going to give the team a fantastic 1-2 punch for the future.

Great Starting Pitching... good young catcher. This formula sounds familiar ;). Can find cheap good bats in the OF later.

If I were a Mets fan I'd be creaming myself over getting either of those guys for Wheeler & D'Arnaud. I know both those guys have potential but give me the proven stud any day of the week. Both of those dudes are electric.

I'm one that believes that prospects are generally overrated and teams are way too protective of them. However, Wheeler and D'Arnaud are both guys that are coming up within the next month or two so they're not your typical prospects. As good as Harvey is the consensus is that Wheeler is better. Better command, better stuff, and a better approach. Given the choice I'd rather lose D'Arnaud than Wheeler as D'Arnaud's injury history is a big concern at his position.

Stanton I would love to have, but it depends on the price. If the price is both Wheeler and D'Arnaud then no thanks. I do think the Mets have enough high ceiling arms outside of Wheeler to make a deal centered around D'Arnaud work. Carlos Gonzalez I'm not really interested in. He hits like a 4th outfielder away from Coors. Gonzalez is also 27 and getting a guy like that in his prime doesn't mesh with the way the Mets are currently building.

The Astros won consecutive games! The Astros won consecutive games!

Turn on MLB TV. Vin Scully is narrating a Dodgers-Padres fight. Best part :

That's fertilizer says Kemp, over and over. That. Is. Fertilizer." - Vin Scully

Yeah well, imagine Vin saying, "That's fucking bullshit says Kemp, over and over. That Is fucking bullshit." I lol thinking about hearing Vin say that.

I don't think Vin is the greatest ever (I think Jon Miller is better) but times like this are glorious to listen to him sanitize it. Love him for it. :D

You would think Cris Collinsworth was the best announcer ever if he was a Giants guy :)

Kemp needs to not act like a fake tough guy and Quinton should be fined. Greinke isn't trying to hit you in a 2-1 game.

You saw last year's lipread, right?

Nah, I love Miller. I think he's better than Scully. But Scully is effing amazing, especially given he's done this before. :D

Mos def.

Awesome. Also, you have a PM.

And Greinke's got a fractured collarbone thanks to Quentin. Way to overreact to a 3-2 pitch in a 2-1 game, cocksucker.

Except that's the third time he's hit him in 26 AB, and he pretty clearly said something as well. Seems like he got what he was coming to him.

Not sure I approve of the move (buying evidence) but I guess I can understand, as the players involved apparently already are buying the documents in an attempt to get them out of the hands of MLB/the feds...

Report -- Major League Baseball pays for Biogenesis documents - ESPN

Major League Baseball has taken an unprecedented step in the Biogenesis of America investigation, paying a former employee of the South Florida anti-aging clinic linked to performance-enhancing drugs for documents on athletes named in the case, the New York Times reported Thursday night.

The move, according to the newspaper, came after at least one player linked to the clinic bought documents from a former employee there in order to destroy them. The Times, citing two unidentified people briefed on the matter, reported other players connected to the now-shuttered clinic have attempted to do the same in order to keep the potentially incriminating documents away from the league.

I hope they bean Quentin in the nuts tomorrow

He should be suspended as long as Greinke is out. That shit is stupid.

In general I wish baseball would do away with intentional beaning and charging the mound.

And apparently there were arguments in the player parking lot...

Be a neat trick since the Dodgers play Arizona tomorrow.

A 3-2 pitch in a one run game? Srsly?

The next pitch CQ sees from a Dodger pitcher ought to be straight for his head, no ifs, ands, or buts.

If they really want to punish the Padres they will make him start every game Grienke is out.

yup. Either take a swing at someone or shut up, he comes off as a little bitch.

Nats stadium is much windier than I remembered, but ive never been there when its been 60 before. brrrrr. also, haren sucks.