Michael Baron: For most of the month, or really, most of the time since Francisco Rodriguez was dealt to the Brewers, I’ve said it’s been a time of learning about the current pieces in the Mets bullpen. It hasn’t been so much about finding out who these players are so much as it’s been about learning who they aren’t. In the case of Acosta, there has been a lot of growth with him as a player this season. Having said that, I think it’s clear he isn’t consistent enough to close on a regular basis. However, Acosta has most definitely proven he can be a very good setup man and a guy who could be mixed-and-matched in the seventh and eighth innings, depending on the matchups. While nothing is set in stone, I expect him to not just be back next season but to figure prominently in that role. Since June 28, Acosta has pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 38 innings. - http://www.metsblog.com/2011/09/25/what-to-make-of-manny-acosta
Medical staff treating Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter for cancerous brain tumors discovered "an abnormal and unusual spot" on his right temple, his daughter Kimmy Bloemers wrote in the family's online journal Sunday night. He was immediately dispatched to get a biopsy. "When I saw the look on my dad's face, I just wanted to cry," Bloemers wrote. "This journey has been so emotional when there has been just one thing after the next that dad has to conquer. Dad did not complain; he just had look of sadness. I really hate that dad has to go through such a tough road. Dad got the biopsy and actually had several spots removed in various places. We hope to find out the results soon." - http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7021281/hofer-gary-carter-suffers-setback-cancer-battle
The Rays took the much-maligned Kyle Farnsworth and turned him into an effective closer this season. I wonder, if someone studied the issue deeply, if relief pitchers are actually more effective working as a closer than as a setup man. Are the best relief pitchers used as closers because they’re the best relievers, or is there something about the usage pattern that makes closers the best relievers? Because the closer role is the only relief role in history that has a regular usage pattern associated with it, and there might be something to that. I guess the point is that the Mets might be better off signing a non-closer on the cheap, sticking him in the ninth, and then watching him transform into an elite reliever. Maybe it’s just the usage pattern. - http://www.patrickfloodblog.com/2011/09/26/the-search-for-a-closer/#comment-3367
June 18, 2008 - OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sean Ratliff homered and Cord Phelps tripled in Stanford's four-run fifth inning, and the Cardinal ousted top-seeded Miami from the College World Series with an 8-3 victory Wednesday night. The Cardinal (41-23-2) advanced to the Bracket 1 finals against Georgia, needing to beat the Bulldogs twice to return to the best-of-three championship round for the second time since 2003. Ratliff's 22nd homer of the season and fourth in 10 NCAA tournament games ended Miami starter Enrique Garcia's night after 4 1-3 innings. Garcia (7-3) had worked at least five innings in eight of his nine previous starts, but was tagged for five runs on eight hits - the last being Ratliff's high fly into the stands in right-center. - http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/061908aaf.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cstv%2Fheadline-rss+%28CSTV+Headlines%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
The last time the Mets blocked a minor league team from coming into the Tri-State Area it led to the wildly successful Long Island Ducks and the Atlantic League. Seventeen years later the Mets play the baseball grinch again by blocking the Scranton Yankees from playing their 2012 International League home schedule at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark. This time, however, I don’t believe baseball in Newark will have a happy ending. Newark baseball has a rich tradition that dates back to 1902. There were the Newark Indians, Newark Pepper of the Federal League, and the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. Effa Manley was their owner and she was the first woman to own and operate a professional baseball team. The current Newark Bears edition, which plays in the independent Can-Am League, is a spinoff of the Yankees minor league affiliate of the same name that existed from 1926 to 1949. - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=40312
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