Andrew Vazzano

When I started this blog in 2006, I had no idea the sort of effect it would end up having on my life. I did it on a whim - as something to help me pass the summer of my transition between high school and college.

Nearly seven years later, it's time to say goodbye.

But it's all good news from here on out. The reason TheRopolitans.com is going on indefinite hiatus is because...

In a few days, I'll be going to work for SNY.

To say I've landed my dream job is an understatement. When I met my now wife-to-be, she asked me what my dream job would be. Without skipping a beat, I said, "Work for SNY." And four years later, my dreams will become reality (both by working for SNY and marrying her).

Over 4,000 posts later (with thousands lost to the annals of the Internet), I couldn't thank you all who supported me through the years without needing a novel to spell it out. For those that have read the site since the beginning (a.k.a. my parents), those that followed me on Twitter way back in '09, to the hundreds that have commented, emailed or contacted me in some way, I must say: Thanks. Without any of you, I wouldn't be where I am today, or will be in a few weeks.

I couldn't be more excited to jump in to the fun at SNY to help make it the best place for fans to read up on their favorite New York sports teams, best place to work and best place for me to make my career.

So long, TheRopolitans.com. It's been a fun and wild ride. You've help me find my way to journalism, to friends, to jobs. But now it's time for you to rest, while I go on to bigger and better things.

From my friend Matt Stucko (Go Bobcats!) on Twitter is a photo of Johan Santana's first professional scouting report:

In case you missed Mike Piazza on MLB Network last night discussing his new book, here are the clips from the show:

Free-agent outfielder Michael Bourn, who the Mets had been persuing - dependent on the ruling on the status of their draft pick (which was in jeopardy of being lost if the team signed him) - has signed with the Cleveland Indians.

Reports are that Bourn signed for a similar amount of money that the Mets were offering, but didn't want to wait for the MLB to make a decision on the Mets draft pick.

So, that pretty much closes the book on the Mets 2012-2013 offseason that saw them trade away the reigning Cy Young winner and get back a starting catcher, the top catching prospect in baseball and a live minor league arm. But what do Mets fans think of the moves? Let's find out...

Very cool Google Doodle today...

Boy, these Mets names are getting tougher and tougher...

The Mets Twitter-sphere is abuzz with news that Mets VP of Public Relations has joined Twitter. But, it looks like this isn't news. He's been on Twitter for over two years, just in a fairly quiet account.

I joined a gym. I go four times a week. I'm actually starting to like it. But what about the stuff that really matters? You know, the Mets.

Here are my 2013 Mets resolutions, or Mets-olutions, if you will.

1. Attend 25 percent of Mets home games
2. Go to some aspect of the All-Star Game (be it Futures Game, Fan Fest, Home Run Derby or game)
3. Get a foul and/or home run ball
4. Wear my Keith Hernandez replica jersey to half the games I attend
5. Do not get ketchup, sausage-and-pepper juice or anything else on said Keith Hernandez jersey
6. Visit the press box
7. Watch a game from the press box
8. Interview a player
9. High-five Mr. Met
10. Watch an entire game from the Pepsi Porch
11. Sit in the cushioned seats
12. Watch a game from a luxury box
13. Tailgate before a game
14. Watch a game from the MoZone
15. Have a winning record at games I attend

In regards to his B.A.T. award he will be receiving tonight...

“I was deeply honored to receive such a prestigious award from B.A.T.  B.A.T is a cause I’ve long supported since being in the majors and one I will continue to support. Unfortunately, however, I will not be able to attend Tuesday’s dinner because I’m still in Venezuela trying to complete the paperwork for the construction of the baseball and soccer stadium in my hometown of Tovar. Again, my apologies on not being there and my congratulations to all the honorees.” – Johan Santana

He’s coming for you, Winter Meetings. He’s just getting warmed up.

If you haven’t heard, the Mets will no longer be affiliated with the Buffalo Bisons, but will instead affiliate themselves with the Las Vegas 51s as their new Triple-A affiliate.

That’s all well and good – teams change their affiliation every so often (remember the Norfolk Tides?) – but the real reason for this post is to introduce you to the worst mascot in professional sports.

His name is Cosmo. And he is terrifying.

The team’s website says, “Cosmo is a survivor of a spaceship crash who spent time at "Area 51" and was a baseball phenom on his home planet of Koufaxia.”

Koufaxia. Ah, it’s no wonder the Wilpons moved here.

The more you know about this creature the better.

Cosmo loves hot dogs, Cracker Jack and popcorn. His favorite music includes Elton John's "Rocket Man," David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust," Styx's "Mr. Roboto," and the Space Jazz Trio. His favorite movies and TV shows include Men in Black (I , II & III), all episodes of the Star Wars saga, Lost in Space and Star Trek.

I’m pretty sure this thing is a long lost cousin of Jar Jar Binks, which makes it all that much worse.

The Mets have the greatest mascot in MLB with Mr. Met and the worst mascot in professional sports in Cosmo.

As we all know, Citi Field will play host to the All-Star Game next season.

We’ve all seen this logo in the news and hanging in center field:

But have you seen these alternate logos, which might be even more awesome?

So cool. Love the home run apple one and the simple top of the apple logo.

Featuring our very own R.A. Dickey...

You may have noticed, as you watched some Mets games over the last few days, that Keith Hernandez's mustache has gone a little gray.

Why's that?

"I guess he ran out of Just For Men," said Gary Cohen, who was doing the pre-game from SNY's studios on  Thursday.

But Cohen's joke may not be far from the truth.

Andrew Fegyveresi, VP of Communications at SNY, said he believes that Hernandez and Just For Men have parted ways. Hernandez, according to this article by Richard Sandomir in the NY Times, has been in the ads since at least 2008, but the article hints that the commercials had been on for some time before it was written.

I have reached out to Just For Men for confirmation, but did not receive a reply by the time this was published.

Reeeeeeeee-jected!

Let's remember the good times:

I’m not a Knicks fan. I watch the Knicks, but I’m far from a fan.

So, the Knicks didn’t match the Houston Rockets contract for Jeremy Lin, ending Linsanity in New York. But, just for some reality, let’s draw a bit of a parallel between Lin and… let’s say… Jordany Valdespin.

Lin started all of 25 games for the Knicks. He’s played in 64 total games, a mere 1,225 minutes. Valdespin has 40 games under his belt, just 81 plate appearances.

Knicks fans, and sports writers everywhere, are foaming at the mouth as they write about how awful of a move this was, tearing into James Dolan, etc. But, at this point, would you give Valdespin a contract like Lin just signed? $25 million over three years.

Imagine if Sandy Alderson turned around and announced at the end of the season, “Oh, by the way, we just signed Valdespin to a three-year deal, worth north of $20 million. And we’ll probably get fined for going over the (non-existant) MLB salary cap in a few years.”

Sure, Jordany might have more to prove, but the point still stands. Signing a guy who hasn’t even played a full season to a $25 million deal is beyond bonkers, marketing, ticket sales and all.

There would be riots! Mets fans would storm Citi Field and loot anything that wasn’t bolted down. But Knicks fans were clamoring for the Knicks to match the contract and bring Lin back.

Maybe I’m missing something. Maybe I don’t get the full picture. Yeah, I know Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton aren’t the answer. But how can you say Lin was? 25 starts! Twenty-five!

Maybe a Knicks fan can set me straight in the comments. Please, shed some light on this!

We all know it. Jesse Orosco on the mound, strikes out Marty Barret to clinch the Mets 1986 World Series championship.

Swing and a miss, and Orosco jumps up, arms in the air. After he windmills his arms, he flings his glove into the air.

And it never comes down.

At least, it never looks like it does. Let’s investigate.

Here’s some photographic evidence, culled from video of the event:

There it goes, up in the air.

And here’s the shot after he releases the glove and falls to his knees. I don’t see the glove.

And here’s the Mets running out on the field to greet Orosco (who is off to the left of the frame). Sure, there are a lot of players on the field, but I don’t see a glove.

Let’s enhance.

Enhance.

Enhance.

OK, still nothing.

And here’s another shot of the Mets on the field, and still no sign of the mythical flying glove.

Maybe if we watch a GIF of the glove taking off, we can track it…

Nope, Nada. Maybe if it looked like a Zapruder Tape.

OK, I give up. I’ll never be able to figure it out from this angle. We need a second camera – a second shooter, if you will.

Does such a film exist? Unlikely. Will we ever know what happened to the leather mitt? Probably not.

My theory: The glove took off and never came down. It’s somewhere between Jupiter and Saturn right now.

Update: OR DID IT COME DOWN?

OK, I've been sitting on this one a while. I realized it a long time ago, but never wrote anything about it - well, until now. Why? Well, because it makes me a bad Mets fan.

I did something bad. Very, very bad.

You know those senior quotes in yearbooks? Yeah, well mine is totally Mets-ian.

"A little roller up along first, behind the bag. It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!" That shows up under my photo from 2006, when I graduated from high school. But, I made a boo boo.

I attributed that quote to Bob Murphy. Bob Murphy did not say that. Vin Scully did.

Scully was calling the game for NBC, and he's the legend that said those now-legendary words. But, I gave those words to Murphy. It was an oversight on my part. I didn't do any research. I didn't even Google it. I just assumed. No one checked. No one cared.

And now, forever, I am a bad Mets fan for misquoting one of the greatest moments in Mets history.

Oops.

Can you please address the abysmal OBP's of Daniel Murphy and Josh Thole? It is the only reason they are on the team.

Do you also find Mike Nickeas' presence to be insulting to the other ball club?

I'm not sure I understand the question about Thole and Murphy's OBP? How is that the only reason they're on the team?

And yes, Mike Nickeas is awful.

Well thanks for getting back to me.

I mean they serve no other purpose, actually this probably could be a good blog post but what do i know, you are the blogger.

They are Mets major leaguers because of their ability to get on base, more evidence to that fact are:
1) They have no power
2) They are both lousy at defense (one could argue significant improvement from Thole but one cannot argue that is how he got to this point)
3) They have no speed
4) What am I missing? (High OBP got them to the majors, which they are not doing right now)

What do you think of it? 

Well, who are you going to replace them with? Sure, they're only OBPing in the low .300s, but as you said... Mike Nickeas can't take over for Thole. Rob Johnson? Nope. Lucas May? Nope.  

And for Murphy... you want Valdespin out there every game? Sure, he's hitting lately, but he's not proven and his glove may be worst than Murphy's. You have to remember Murphy is in a deeeeeeeeeeep slump right now, too. 

And Thole/Nickeas are faced with Dickey's knuckleball every five days. You've seen how fooled hitters are with the pitch - catchers are just as confused too!

Yeah but now we see that they can't be a part of our future and must be terminated quickly. 

Thole is the catcher for the foreseeable future. Murphy is being moved around yearly to find him a spot. Neither positions are being threatened by players in the minors. These are the guys for right now and probably for a few years to come.

Impossible situation to win carrying the both of them getting on base at a 300 clip.  

Who would you put in their places?