Duane Reade Frustration
Is it just me or are the Duane Reade drugstores around the city getting worse by the day. I used be able to go in there on the way to work and buy a box of 10 packets of oatmeal for work. Can’t do that anymore. Now they only seem to carry the single serving oatmeal in a cup. “Just add water and mix”, they say. “Couldn’t be any simpler.” That’s fine for someone who may only accassionally have oatmeal. But for someone like me who has a morning oatmeal instead of coffe (I never acquired the taste for coffee) this is a total ripoff. The single serving package costs about as much as the box of 10 packets used to cost. No thanks. I’ll just do without the oatmeal and find something else to eat from another store.
Then you have the drink selection. There was a time where you could go into Duane Reade and enjoy a great selection of cold drinks and the fridge was seemingly never empty of any of the drinks they carried. Now when I go into a Duane Reade I can never find what I want because they are either out of stock or just don’t carry that particular item anymore. One store near work doesn’t even carry chocolate milk anymore! How can you be a Duane Reade and not carry chocolate milk?!?! That’s just nuts!!
So is it just me or do you share in my Duane Reade frustration? Share your comments on this issue using the link below.
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Finally… A Happy Recap
Click here for a recap of yesterday’s game.
The Mets overcame a great performance by Atlanta Braves starter John Smoltz to earn their first victory of the season. I can’t verbalize my excitement any better than Chuck ‘n’ Duck so I won’t even try.
One point about this victory that I haven’t seen talked about very much is that this was a real character building game. When faced with such a strong start by an opposing pitcher you can either turn over and die or you can channel in and try even harder. In the last few years when Mets teams have been faced with this kind of situation they most often did the former. It’s nice to see that this team did the latter and was even able to win the game. Hopefully this is a preview of the type of team this will be and not just an abberation.
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Today’s The Day
I can feel it. I can’t explain it but it just could happen.
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Here Comes Rocker
Don’t look now but former Atlanta Braves relief pitcher and ingrate John Rocker is continuing his baseball career on Long Island.
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Nothing To Say
Click here for a recap of last night’s game.
I don’t have anything to say about yesterday’s game besides that Kazuhisa Ishii didn’t totally suck.
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Chuck Meriwether: Big League Ump?
Chuck ‘n’ Duck has a nice montage of Chuck Meriwether anecdotes questioning Meriwether’s fitness to be a Major League level umpire in the wake of his controversial turn behind the plate last night.
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Robinson & Healy Getting It Wrong?
Click here for a recap of last night’s game.
In the eighth inning of the game Willie Randolph made a double switch that took Doug Mientkiewicz out of the game and inserted pitcher Mike DeJean in his slot in the order while putting Chris Woodward in at first base to bat in the pitcher’s slot in the order. Reds manager Dave Miley complained to the umpires that the double switch was not made properly and the umpires ruled in his favor. This forced Woodward to bat in the slot vacated by Mientkiewicz, which meant the Mets, would have to use a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth.
Ted Robinson and Fran Healy, calling the game for MSG Network, went into a discussion criticizing Miley’s complaint as being bush league and having nothing to do with the game. I have to disagree with that. Though Miley’s complaint was nitpicking it was quite valid. And the timing of the complaint (Miley waited for DeJean to have completed his warmups before talking to the umpires) was such that I think it was done to rattle the Mets and give the Reds a slight edge in a two run game that was not over yet. And it seemed to have worked as it was in this inning that Joe Randa hit his grand slam to put the game away. Without that grand slam if the Mets would have gone on to score the two runs that they did in the ninth the game would be tied at 5. Miley was just reaching for whatever edge he could to help his team.
Then, in the top of the ninth, Robinson and Healy commiserated over the notorious ‘in the neighborhood’ play at second base as the Reds attempted to turn a double play. The Reds missed the DP as Jose Reyes beat the throw at first. If the umpires were going to enforce the double switch ruling, they argued, then they had to call Marlon Anderson safe at second base on the play. Though I have never been a fan of the ‘in the neighborhood’ play it has been called for as long as I can remember. So even though Robinson and Healy were correct that Anderson was safe (because Reds second baseman DAngelo Jimenez did not tag the base while in possession of the ball) the act was getting kind of old. The play has always been called that way, fellas. Fair or not you’ve got to get over it.
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Of Selig and Steroids Policies
I found this story on espn.com. It discusses the MLB steroid policy and quotes commissioner Bud Selig as saying the policy is working. I beg to differ.
One major leaguer and 38 minor leaguers have been suspended as a result of testing. This shows, perhaps, that the testing is working but that has nothing to do with how the policy is working. The idea of a policy in which penalties are levied against offenders is to dissuade possible offenders from engaging in the activity that is being penalized. Technically speaking, the system is not working. In fact, these suspensions show that the system has failed 39 times because if the policy was truly working then these 39 players would not have been using the banned supplements.
I know that this is a very cynical view but I only bring it up to illustrate that no matter how you try to paint the picture right now it’s still too early to tell if the policy is working. There is also continued debate over administration of the testing. Are they testing for enough substances? Are the tests administered in a strict enough context? I read somewhere that players are allowed to leave the room during testing. How could a test like that be called conclusive?
I think it’ll be a while until we truly see if the current policy is working but even then we will not see if baseball is steroid free. We will only see if it is less plagued by the current substances included in the program. Until the testing gets tougher (like covering substances that are covered by the minor league policy, for example) the abuse players induce on their bodies by taking substances like this will not lessen. It will only adapt to use of other, non-banned substances.
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Dumbest Headline of the Day
A story on scout.com discusses yesterday’s game. It is headlined “Mets’ pen needs work“. Really? I didn’t know that. Thanks for the update.
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Orioles Still Interested in Cameron
The Washington Post reports today about the Orioles search for a solution in centerfield. Here’s an excerpt:
“Despite Luis Matos’ quick start Monday — a two-run home run in a 4-0 win against the Athletics — the Orioles continue to search for a long-term solution in center field. Though they were rebuffed during spring training in attempts to trade for Mets Mike Cameron, the Orioles are convinced they can acquire the him for the right package. They will continue to pursue Cameron, among others, and could offer some surplus relief pitching, which the Mets need. Orioles relievers John Parrish and Jorge Julio could be used to acquire a center fielder.”
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