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Next Mets?

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  In the midst of a lost season -- where the only positives appear to be the development of rookies such as Carson Benge and AJ Ewing — the Mets recently traded for or promoted several other young players that, at first glance, appear to be on track to join those former 2025 Rumble Ponies. Considered the big prize in the deal sending AJ Minter to Minnesota, power-hitting Billy Amick has a catchy nickname and, so far at Binghamton, the productivity to back it up.  "Billy Barrels"' five home runs and 13 RBI in his first seven games caught my attention.  The Twins' 2nd round draft pick in 2024 after crushing 24 home runs at Tennessee and leading them to the College World Series crown, he hit more for average in the low minors.  This year, it's pedal to the metal time again -- 23 homers in 86 games for AA Wichita, while striking out roughly a third of time.  Sunday, the swing was sweet and the power very real as you can see below: this swing produced a game-changin...
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If Your Birthday is August 7th...

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...you share it with Mike Trout .  The athletically gifted New Jersey native arrived in the majors just two years after being drafted by the Angels.  Quickly emerging as that rare combination of speed, power and defensive prowess, he's led the American League four times in both OPS and runs scored, while earning four MVP awards as well as the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year.  Unfortunately, he’s been victimized by a badly run franchise that has yet to win a playoff series during his career and was unable to compete even while Trout and fellow superstar Shohei Ohtani were teammates.  Already a lock for Cooperstown, his only obstacle has been injuries.  Trout hasn't played in more than 130 games in any full season this decade. Don Larsen is the classic example of an ordinary ballplayer authoring one extraordinary moment.  His perfect game in game five of the 1956 World Series remains a unicorn -- no one has matched the sheer dominance in any post-season outing....
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Painter Returns

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After struggling earlier in the season and then an up-and-down "reset" with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies recalled Andrew Painter on Friday.  His start against the Orioles at Camden Yards got off on the wrong foot -- staked to a 2-0 lead, he promptly gave it back on a double by Dylan Beavers and a two-run homer from Pete Alonso.  But those were the final runs the rookie righthander surrendered... Settling down, he completed six effective innings, apparently securing enough confidence from the Phillies front office that they didn't overpay in a deadline deal for another starter.  Instead, Painter won the role of number-five starter -- at least for now -- and will be back on the mound Wednesday night against the Nationals.  Although relievers Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza stumbled in the 7th inning as the Orioles came from behind, Painter's work was the night's big takeaway.  Keep in mind, the Phillies have not have a victory from their fifth spot  in...
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If Your Birthday is July 31st...

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...you share it with Gabe Kapler.   A useful fourth outfielder with several major league clubs (including the 2004 curse-shattering Red Sox), he later  managed the Phillies (above, in 2018) and Giants (2021). A big proponent of analytics, Kapler's teams finished .500 or below in five of his six seasons as a skipper.  The 2021 Giants were the exception -- which won a franchise-record 107 games, but made a quick post-season exit, losing to their forever rivals the Dodgers in the divisional series.  
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Moving on Up

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With the baseball season now comfortably into its second half, let's spotlight several players just being promoted within their organizations.   After belting 12 homers and posting an OPS above .800 for Lehigh Valley, Brian De La Cruz was called up by the Phillies last week and homered Wednesday.  He then delivered two hits each Saturday and Sunday.  The 29 year old, who hit 58 homers in parts of five previous seasons with the Marlins and Braves, will now get a chance to prove that he can upgrade the Phillies weak numbers in right field -- with the trade deadline quickly approaching.  Brady House (below:) has already benefited from a trade.  A fter batting .301 in 50 games at AAA Rochester, he  gets the first crack at 3rd base for the Nationals, after Curtis Meade was sent to the Red Sox for pitcher Connelly Early.   Franklin Arias , the most impressive prospect I've seen so far in 2026, is now just one step from the majors. After a sparkli...
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If Your Birthday is July 24th...

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...you share it with Barry Bonds .  Baseball's all-time -- and single-season -- home run leader was on a likely Hall of Fame track when he left the Pirates for the Giants as a 1993 free agent.  But his San Francisco years remain under a cloud due to strong suspicions of PED use.  The son of former Giants star Bobby Bonds and godson of Willie Mays spent 22 years in the major leagues, was named NL MVP seven times and an all star 14 -- while leading San Francisco to the 2002 National League pennant.  Those connections to the BALCO scandal, including an obstruction of justice conviction that was later overturned, apparently soured the writers who vote for Cooperstown induction -- despite sparkling statistics, he never gained the needed 75% of the vote in any of the 10 years he was eligible.  Now, he'll wait for reconsideration by a veterans committee. My image of Bonds is from 2016, when he served as the Marlins hitting coach. Nolan McLain is the best of the Mets c...
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Random Images

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Ron Hunt , the first Mets star without having previous ties to the Dodgers, Giants or Yankees, died last Wednesday after several years of declining health.     He was 85.  The scrappy St. Louis native endured himself to Polo Grounds fans with his hard-nosed play and willingness to be hit by a pitch. (Hunt still holds the post-1900 record for most HBP's in a season with 50.)  The runner up to Pete Rose for the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, Hunt made history the following year, as the first Met ever to start the All Star Game -- fitting as it was played at the brand-new Shea Stadium.  Traded to the Dodgers after the 1966 season, Ron later played for the Giants, Expos and briefly, at the end of his career, the his hometown Cardinals.  I met Ron when he was saluted at Citi Field late in the 2019 season. Freddy Cannon was a bigtime baseball fan -- and was delighted to play at the Dodgers 50th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles -- but made his name as a ...
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