(Neil Miller/Sportsday Wire)
It seems like it was a million years ago but it was only last December when the Mets’ big acquisition was free agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer who they signed to a two-year, $21 million contract. There was some question as to why the Mets, with their supposedly limited resources, would sign a player with good hitting credentials but was 36 years old and had racked up a lot of time on the disabled list.
While he has not had a great season by his standards, batting .250 with 8 home runs as he came off the disabled list hopefully recovered from a sore knee on Monday, Cuddyer shouldn’t be thought of as a Jason Bay-like bust. (Although to be fair, Bay played hard and probably never achieved his offensive potential because of numerous concussions).
Michael has certainly been a leader in the Mets clubhouse and he’s always been gracious to the media no matter the size of their outlets. Many younger Mets players need to learn how to handle themselves and he has been a great role model and mentor.
As the Mets head into their first pennant race in years, having Michael Cuddyer on their roster could pay significant dividends down the homestretch. As long as he stays healthy of course.
The Mets will face a strong test about how good they really are this weekend when they take on the National League wild card-leading Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend at Citi Field.
Within the last two weeks both the Phillies and the Braves held Old-Timers Day celebrations while the Yankees held theirs back in June. It’s been years however since the Mets hosted that event.
Publicly honoring a team’s alumni is a great way to link the different generations of baseball fans with the organization. It also tells current players that the organization will value their service after they retire.
Old-Timers Days are expensive because of the travel costs and that’s probably why the Mets don’t do them and that’s a shame. The benefits clearly outweigh the costs.
Derek Jeter has been on the cover of nearly every sports periodical imaginable but he may be most thrilled about getting on the cover of this week’s issue of The Hollywood Reporter. The entertainment trade magazine profiles his publishing deal with Simon & Schuster as well as his most public post-baseball venture, The Players Tribune. TBT’s mission is to have athletes (through the Tribune’s editorial staff of ghost writers) converse with the public directly through first-person articles and thus bypassing the traditional media.
The Players Tribune has gotten big names to write articles but I have always been more intrigued about the players who have been on the bubble and their thoughts. Somehow I don’t think that “The Captain” will want to publish articles from the Eric Campbells or Garrett Joneses of the baseball world.
Derek Jeter isn’t the only sports personality to grace the cover of The Hollywood Reporter this year. NBA superstar LeBron James was featured in May. He is currently co-starring in the Amy Schumer-Bill Hader comedic film, “Trainwreck.” While he may enjoy dabbling in acting, James has formed a film and television development company called Spring Hill Productions. Warner Brothers is a partner in James’s venture.
I have to admit that as a baby boomer who grew up in apartments without air conditioners I relied on fans to keep me a little cooler on those hot summer days and night. I was always a bit phobic however about those rotating blades even though there were strong exterior metal grills so that one’s fingers were always protected. Dyson, the folks, who came up with the best vacuum cleaner, have created a bladeless fan called the Air Multiplier that gives a stronger cooling effect than those old big warhorse General Electric fans that I remember and it should eliminate all fears about fans even if they’re irrational. They also use far less electricity than even the best energy-saving air conditioner.