The Final Score

Great, great post by a blog that's really growing on us fast - Hugging Harold Reynolds.

In the wake of Nelson Figueroa's complaints that the Nationals acted like "softball girls," HHR found exclusive video. I'll let them set it up for you: "Looking at this footage of Lastings Milledge, Paul LoDuca, Dimiti Young and company, we can't say we disagree. While girls just want to have fun, there is no place for this in professional baseball."

It's official -- the Big Apple will be at Citi Field.

So they can shut down this Web site.

I know this is not big, big news, and the Mets have said this in the past. But what makes this story different is that I was at Citi Field for another tour of the place, led by COO Jeff Wilpon. And with my own eyes I saw behind a centerfield wall a huge circular opening. Asked what that is for, Wilpon gladly revealed, "The Apple!"

Wilpon didn't know if it would be the same apple or a new apple, but my bet is on a new apple. In any case, the apple lives on. Rejoice.

Here's my story on how the whole building is coming along, apple included.

* Sorry about that, Nelson. Didn't mean to get you cut. Anthony defended Figueroa in today's debate and posted this update from Shea. Seriously, Figgy, at your next stop, focus on your pitches, not the opposing dugout's chants.

* Anyone else disappointed - but not surprised - by the way the NFL handled today's Spygate meeting of the minds? You're all sick of this story, I know, but the NFL is just too shady for me. They get Matt Walsh, the guy who did the dirty work for Bill Belichick, he meets with the commish and Goodell says there's nothing new. Come on. This guy is walking proof the Pats blatantly cheated for eight years. And because there's no tape of a Super Bowl walkthrough, we're supposed to say, 'Well, this ends that.' Really bad job by the NFL.

JIM: Hey, Nelson, worry about your pitching

Seriously, Anthony, this has to be my easiest debate argument yet.

So let me get this straight -- Nelson Figueroa, a guy who hasn’t pitched in the majors before this season since 2004, just stunk it up against the lowly Nationals last night and then he chooses to rip them?!?!?!

Nelson, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and be accountable.

I know, Mets fans, he wasn’t blaming them for his troubles. Blah, blah, blah.

Here’s what you need to take from this: when Figueroa was on the mound last night, he allowed himself to get distracted by the Nationals. They were in his head, and there is no debating that. If they weren't in his head, he wouldn't have cared if they were doing jumping jacks, making fart sounds or dancing the macarena in the dugout.

All that should have mattered to Figueroa was who was at the plate and the pitch he was going to throw. So they were chanting, “Let’s Go Austin!” Yes, a little sophomoric. But big whoop! Must we go talk to high school pitchers and see how they deal with that!?!??

Lack of professionalism? Lack of class? Offensive?

Pfffft.

You need to worry about one person: yourself.

ANTHONY: Nelson showed them Brooklyn

Nelson Figueroa is my kind of guy, and not just because we’re both from Brooklyn.

Figueroa was asked a question on Monday night about the Nationals’ juvenile clapping and cheering in the third inning and he answered honestly. That’s what Brooklynites do: We say what’s on our mind. We get in your face.

Figueroa didn’t bring it up. He was asked, he answered. He wasn’t ranting, he wasn’t raving. He threw in a few insults, basically calling the Nationals girlie men and pointing out that they are a last-place team. Nice.

Some people have said “who is Nelson Figueroa” to be talking about professionalism. Well, Figueroa is a guy who has been eeking out a living in baseball since he first appeared in the majors in 2000. He had to play in Taiwan before landing with the Mets this spring. He appreciates everything he has and knows it could be taken away at any time. He respects the game and how hard it is to play it at this level.

If the Nationals want to act like bush leaguers, there’s nothing wrong with calling them on it.

Nationals have a problem with that? They know where to find him. And now they know where Nelson Figueroa is from. Brooklyn.

****
Who do you agree with?

I bet Brooks Simpson will have a good line about this one...

Too bad Rocket didn't do some more lip singing like he did in this soap commercial.

Interesting story in the Chicago Tribune today in which Jerry Reinsdorf goes into great detail about the Bulls' dealings with Mike D'Antoni, including his meeting with D'Antoni at the coach's house Friday. "He said he didn't want to coach the Knicks," Reinsdorf said. Who knows if he's telling the truth - it's funny how these guys are always so willing to give details after the fact when they've lost - but it's still an interesting read.

First off, Nelson Figueroa, let's remember something.
1. You're Nelson Figueroa.
2. You haven't pitched in the majors since 2004.

So you really don't have a leg to stand on by saying the other team's chanting was offensive, lacked class and professionalism.

Worry about sticking in the majors before you worry about the other team's chants. Now, that said, if the Nationals really were chanting "Let's go Austin" in unison, that is so, so hilarious. I picture this:

Let's go, Austin! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap.

Steam coming out of Figueroa's ears...

Let's go Austin! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap.

That's offensive, classless and shows lack of professionalism, Figueroa says to self.

Let's go Austin! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap.

I'm going to rip them after the game to reporters, even if my outing stinks tonight.

Let's go Austin! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap.

I spoke to so many people about Michael Iavarone yesterday - himself, his mother, two college coaches, three former teammates, his old athletic director - and I just now see that Mike Jarvis works for him.

Yes, that Mike Jarvis.

According to Iavarone's racing company Web site, Jarvis is a VP of public relations. (Feel free to laugh out loud.) Here's his bio on the site. It says nothing about how he ran St. John's into the ground.

I covered St. John's for three-plus months in '03-04, and in that time a player was arrested with a former player for marijuana possession, Jarvis was fired, the team never won and there was a sex scandal.

Jarvis was a jerk to me at first, but warmed up to me in our short time together and he always answered my calls in the weeks after he got fired. So I appreciated that.

He did once mistakenly call me one random morning.

This was how I recall our conversation going:

JB: "Hello."
MJ: "Hi."
JB: "How are you?"
MJ: "Good. What's happening?"
JB: "Uh, nothing. What about you?"
MJ: "So what's the plan?"
JB: "Plan? I don't know what you're talking about."
MJ: "What time are we going to meet?"
JB: "Mike, you called me. I don't know what you're talking about."
MJ: "Who is this?"
JB: "Jim Baumbach"
MJ: "Oh, I thought I was calling Jim so-and-so."

We laughed and went on our merry ways.

I spent all day yesterday reporting on the pro baseball dreams of Michael Iavarone, the soon-to-be famous Long Islander (if not already) who owns Big Brown.

You'll be reading a lot about him, especially if his horse wins Saturday, as it is expected to do.

What I found interesting about his background is that he was a stellar athlete growing up in Bethpage, specifically in baseball. He was a pitcher, and scouts from at least two major league teams contacted him during his senior year.

(His mother also is a cousin of Phil Rizzuto, and he has a bat Scooter used in the '56 series.)

So what happened to his baseball dreams? Find out here.

Okay, okay, I'll tell you. He tore his labrum and needed surgery. Twice. So he became a banker, made a ton of money, bought a horse and now is even richer than before.

Hundreds strip for naked photo shoot in Austria
1 day ago

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — The man behind the camera had three requests for his subjects: no sunglasses, no smiling, and no underwear.

The latest work by New York photographer Spencer Tunick gathered 1,840 people, baring it all in Austria's Happel Stadium on Sunday.

"Stay very still. Don't move," the Austria Press Agency quoted Tunick as telling the crowd as he went to work.

Much of the hours-long photo shoot had little to do with soccer, with naked volunteers assuming different poses at the behest of the artist. But at least one of the photos had them with the ball, men first and then the women.

The stadium will host seven of the Euro 2008 soccer championship matches being staged by Austria and Switzerland, including the June 29 final.

Tunick has made a name for himself with his works featuring hundreds of naked people at unusual venues. He described Sunday's shooting on his Web site as combining "the spirit of sports, the grand sweeping waves of stadium architecture and the abstract relation of the human form to modern structures."

You better hurry because there are only four hours left in this auction to buy an undershirt that Gary Sheffield wore during a game! Sweat stains included! No word whether it was washed. Does that affect its authenticity?

It is interesting that he wore this undershirt in 2006, the season in which a wrist injury limited him to just 39 games. Too bad they don't say whether he wore this undershirt during that awful experiment of playing him at first base.

There have no bids yet, so this could be yours for the price of only $49.99!

NOTE TO BIDDERS: If you dare wear it - and that is just disgusting - you also run the risk of entering Sheffield's warp sense of reality. Watch out. It might not be reversible.

The fine people at hotfootblog apparently read The Final Score because were intrigued enough by this post to find out who exactly is Dromerhauser. And with the help of Google, they found a pretty cool story.

I'll let them tell you...

"This NYT story ... not only gives us his first name, Rob, but a story of how in 1989, with Gary Carter, Barry Lyons hurt and Mackey Sasser their only catcher left, then GM Joe McIlvaine had a contract drawn up for Rob Dromerhauser because they weren’t sure if Phil Lombardi who they had called up from Tidewater would make it to game on time. Lombardi did make it by the first inning so the rest is history. McIlvaine went on to say of Dromerhauser, “For a while, Robbie was our Walter Mitty.”

FYI: A happy Dromerhauser fan bought the jersey for $122.50 on eBay.

I had no idea Rich Monteleone, the dean of the Yankees' current coaching staff, was such a high pick. And the fact that he and Gooden were both drafted out of Tampa high schools means they might have had some fierce pitching duels as teenagers. Funny.

1... Cubs... Shawon Dunston... SS
5... Mets... Dwight Gooden... P
6... Mariners... Spike Owen... SS
8... Angels... Bob Kipper... P
9... Braves... Duane Ward... P
13... Phillies... John Russell... C
16... Red Sox... Sam Horn... 1B
19... Dodgers... Franklin Stubbs... 1B
20... Tigers... Rich Monteleone... P
21... Cardinals... Todd Worrell... P
25... Brewers... Dale Sveum... SS
29... Red Sox... Kevin Romine... OF

ANTHONY: Let the players take care of it

Personally, I don't care whether Joba celebrates or not. Many people in sports celebrate on the field -- every sport, in fact. It's only in baseball that it becomes "showing up your opponent."

If it bothers you, David Dellucci, here's what you do:

Next time Joba does a twirl & fist pump, tell your pitcher to drill Derek Jeter with a pitch in the next inning. Then, when Jeter gets to first, your first baseman says, 'Oops. That pitch must have gotten away. Of course, you might want to have your reliever calm down on his celebrations or someone might get hurt."

So then it will be up to the Yankees batters if they want to continue to get plunked because Joba feels the need to express himself after a strikeout.

Now don't get me wrong -- this doesn't mean Joba shouldn't celebrate if he wants. Heck, he can do a moonwalk from the mound to the dugout if he wants.

People should do whatever they want in life. As long as they are ready to accept the consequences.

JIM: Keep up the enthusiasm, Joba

Is Joba showing up his opponent with his celebrations? Yes!

Is it wrong? No!

What happened to sports that we get mad at people if they DON'T celebrate and then we get mad at others when they DO celebrate?!?!

The bottom line is this is a game. Of course Joba's celebrations can offend the opponents. But you know? His celebrations are a part of who he is. It fires himself up. It fires his teammates up. And it fires up the fans. He's not playing for the sake of the opponents.

If they have such a problem with it, then don't let him celebrate. Get hits. Knock him out of the game. Then, when he is sulking in the dugout with his towel over his head, do a dance around the bases. Have fun. It's just a game!

When did everyone forget that?

Chicago Norm suggested this one...

Here's Romo...

And here's Haynes...

You make the call...

When I was in high school I was busy trying to think of ways to finagle my way into the school record books. (And I did just that by competing in the 1600m racewalk, a race that did not run in Nassau County. So I went to a track meet in Suffolk, did the walk in pathetic time, had my coach call it in to Newsday and - tada! - my name was in Newsday's weekly best-of-the-season-in-track as the fastest (and only) racewalk in Nassau. And I think it still stands on the high school wall as the school record. But I digress...)

Two guys from Jericho are spending their high school time by talking sports on the radio, thanks to the Internet. They do a show called "Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan" on blogtalkradio.com, and last night their guest was Darrelle Revis of the Jets. Wow. You can hear the interview here.

Some MLB transactions that have occurred on this date in history...

* In 2006 the Indians released Felix Heredia.

* In 2004 the Padres cut Rey Ordonez.

* In 1999 the Tigers released Mel Rojas.

Nice trio of former Mets, eh?

Another gem of a column by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times regarding Andruw Jones, the Dodgers' $36 million centerfielder whose average is well below his weight...

Here's the link.

Surely many readers opened Newsday the last two days, read about how Cablevision is buying the paper and wondered, "How does this affect The Final Score?!?!"

Don't worry, people. Give it time, give it time.

This thought hit me over breakfast: if they're going to be into synergy, putting News12 video on Newsday.com, using Newsday journalists on News12, etc., then maybe they'll let me do the weather report.

Or, even better - News12 needs a helicopter for traffic updates. I'll do that, too.

Anthony is the seventh-most popular baby name, according to the Department of Compiling and Releasing Pointless Lists.

James is not in the top 10.

It's the title of a new book. Calm down.

From the AP via ESPN.com:

A memorabilia dealer who profited from O.J. Simpson for many years is the latest former crony to write a tell-all book, this one alleging a groggy Simpson, high on marijuana, confessed to killing his ex-wife after he was acquitted.

Here's the rest of the story.

Many Mets fans are still upset about the team essentially giving up on Jeff Keppinger when they traded him to the Royals for Ruben Gotay.

Then the same Mets fans fell in love with Gotay, but now he's with the Braves after the Mets waived him in March.

And those same Mets fans are not exactly crazy about Luis Castillo. But they better learn to love him -- Castillo somehow got a four-year contract out of the Mets.

Keppinger is now the starting shortstop for the Reds. He went 5-for-5 in the second game of last night's doubleheader. Here are the numbers of the three players going into yesterday:

Player BA HRs RBIs Age Good knees
Castillo .233 0 7 32 0
Keppinger .317 2 17 28 2
Gotay .250 0 0 25 2

Looks like Mets fans were right about Keppinger. Pat yourselves on the back if you were one of them!

UPDATE, 3 p.m.: Castillo left today's Mets game with discomfort in his right quad. Keppenger is 2-for-2 with a walk. I'm just sayin'.

If Mike D'Antoni becomes the coach of the Knicks -- wow! what a great move by Donnie Walsh.

And Donnie Walsh couldn't have made the move if he hadn't been hired by James Dolan.

And James Dolan couldn't have hired Donnie Walsh if he hadn't been sired by Charles Dolan.

Good work all around!

Give that last debate victory to Anthony. I'm going to jump off the sinking Igawa ship before it's late. Well, it is already too late.

Whatev.

I just saw a pretty cool sign on a parkway in Connecticut. It said: "Don't Stop: Correctional Facility Area." Hey, at least they acknowledge they're not too good at keeping the criminals in lockdown.

I have another favorite sign. It's on route 81 in Pennsylvania. It says, "Entering Endless Mountain Region." That's some region.

BTW, Anthony, have any problem with Joba's first pumps? I like the enthusiasm, but I didn't like Joba's reasoning that he didn't know it was Dellucci he struck out.

Baloney.

Earlier in the season I was there when someone (I think FS reader Tyler Kepner) asked him if he had ever faced Frank Thomas before striking him out this year, and he quickly mentioned the two previous times, the results of the ABs and what pitch he threw him.

So, Joba, if you're going to celebrate after striking out the guy who beat you for a home run two nights earlier, fine. But don't play dumb. We're on to you.

From ESPN.com news services:

Florida Gators safety Jamar Hornsby has been kicked off the team after turning himself in Friday to answer charges he allegedly used the credit card of a woman killed six months ago in an accident that also killed a teammate.

"He is not a part of our program," Florida coach Urban Meyer said in a news release.

Continue reading here

Jim is feeling pretty unhappy about pubilcly declaring his support for Kei Igawa. I say stay with it. Heh heh.

ANTHONY: NO WAY!

You know how I know Kei Igawa will never be an effective starting pitcher in the big leagues?

Big Papi told me.

Actually, David Ortiz told a lot of reporters this after Igawa's proudest moment as a Yankee. It was last April 28, when Igawa came in against the Red Sox in long relief and pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 3-1 Yankees win. Igawa got the victory -- his second and final one of the season.

After the game, Big Papi was asked what he thought of Igawa.

"He was all right," he said. "Nothing special."

I don't think that was the usual ballplayer bravado. Big Papi was saying what we can all see with our own eyes: Igawa doesn't have the stuff to make it here. Just because the Yankees wasted $46 million on him doesn't change that fact.

JIM: DON'T GO BY BIG PAPI

I need to get Anthony one of those Magic Eight Balls and rig it so it will give him a Big Papi answer. This way, whenever we do a debate, he can shake the Magic Eight Ball and ask, "Big Papi, tell me how I should answer this Final Score debate."

Here's the thing about Igawa: forget about the money the Yankees paid. It's completely irrelevant at this point. If he allows three runs in six innings tonight, Yankees fans are not going to yell at the screen, "Yeah, but we didn't pay $46 million for just that!"

But the question here is, will Igawa be a successful major league pitcher, and I think he will be. There is reason to believe it. He posted strong minor-league numbers last season and he has done well so far this season. And while he wasn't Daisuke Matsuzaka in Japan, he did constantly lead the league in strikeouts.

Yes, he stunk last year. But there is undoubtedly an adjustment period when coming from Japan to the United States. That's by no means the reason for his struggles last year, but it has to be part of the discussion.

Tonight, Year 2 of Igawa begins. Prepared to be surprised.

For this week's where-are-they-now, we catch up with former Yankees third baseman Scott Brosius. He's in his first year as the head baseball coach of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.

That's the Division III school he played for two decades ago, and his family still lives there. So it made perfect sense when he retired to return to school, finish his degree, become an assistant coach and now the head coach. He's loving it.

Here's the Brosius story.

And here's our past where-are-they-nows:

Gary Carter ... Lake Erie Midges ... Patrick McCarthy, the boy A-Rod saved in 2005 ... Jason Fraser, local basketball star ... Ron Hunt ... Walt Szczerbiak ... Davey Johnson ... Brian Mahoney ... Mike Stanley ... Matt Bahr ... Jeff Hostetler ... Leonard Marshall ... Y.A. Tittle ... Ottis Anderson ... Barry Lyons ... Bruce Harper ... Mackey Sasser ... Ken Phelps ... Kenny "Sky" Walker.

Our hard-working Neil Best announced this morning that he is taking the weekend off from blogging.

Neil practically invented newspaper blogging, so he's entitled to some time with the Besties. He also invented Velcro, but (little-known fact) forgot to patent it. D'oh!

Jim and I will be here blogging all weekend to serve your blog needs. We never take a day off. That's a promise.

Except for later this month when we are each taking a week of vacation. So we need page views now! Tell your friends.

METS: Our hard-working David Lennon writes today about Aaron Heilman's struggles.

Mets fans need to give A-Heil a break at Shea if they want him to be more effective. Some players don't care about getting booed or even use it for motivation. I can't prove this, but I have a feeling it doesn't help Heilman for the home crowd to boo him. It may hurt him to have that distraction to deal with. Just a feeling.

YANKEES: Every time Jason Giambi hits a home run -- he has six -- it makes it less likely the Yankees will have the guts to release him, as this space says it must. Giambi is going to tease them like this all season with just enough power to make you think he's going to turn it around.

He isn't. Not to any great degree, anyway.