(Mets third base coach Razor Shines, hitting the town during his day off)
For the second time in several weeks the spectre of swine flu looms over the MASH unit otherwise known as the New York Mets, only this time there’s hints a player rather than a paying customer has been stricken. While not making light of the alleged stomach bug that’s hit Carlos Beltran and John Maine, surely everyone is aware that big league clubhouses are rife with all manner of infection and infestation. Perhaps the only ailment more profoundly disturbing than J.J. Putz being diagnosed with Aaron Heilman Syndrome would be third-base coach Razor Shines’ advanced stage of Invisibility. Jeremy Reed was gunned down at the plate last night in the third inning of the Mets’ 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh and Zach Duke, clearly oblivious to the precence of coaching veteran Shines’ wild gestures to stop at third. Similar incidents have occurred on far too many occasions this season, leading me to conclude the Mets have no option other than to quarantine Shines (and perhaps for good measure, the delusional person who hired him).
Invisible or not, Razor Shines is still probably the best-named base coach in baseball. Unless you like who the Royals have at first base.
PS: I’m surprised there’s been nothing on the Self-Destruction Of The Sporting Internet that happened this weekend.
Back in my day, the accepted STOP! signal for third base coaches was two raised arms, and it usually was given from somewhere near third base. Razor seems to prefer coming way down the line and doing the old “point at third base” stop sign, which to me doesn’t seem as clear. And given the example of Ryan Church, if I’m a Met approaching third base I want to be looking at the bag and making darn sure that I actually touch it. It might be easier to pick up a third base coach who is not halfway to the plate already?
Wendel Kim to thread.
Glavine was just released after throwing 11 innings of shutout ball in his rehab starts.
Maybe the Mets can piece him and Pedro together into something resembling a pitcher (which Tim Redding apparently is not). Ha.
“PS: I’m surprised there’s been nothing on the Self-Destruction Of The Sporting Internet that happened this weekend”
my apologies. Buzz Bissinger’s guest editorial on the topic couldn’t get past our legal department.
we all shine on even the mets