WWJD: What Would Joey Do?

It's been quite some time since I was allowed to write a blog for Studious Metsimus. Why do you suppose that's the case? I have no idea! My colleague has been writing about Sgt. Bay of The Yukon, the Flying Molina Brothers and I've stayed quiet waiting for my turn to blog.

I even volunteered to become a roving reporter. I would've gone to the Dominican Republic to interview former Met Jose Offerman about his "swing and a miss" with the face of umpire Daniel Rayburn. My colleague said Studious Metsimus couldn't afford the extra passport.

I asked if I could go to the Yukon to interview Sgt. Bay on his home tundra. That was okay with my colleague but he failed to tell me that Sgt. Bay wasn't going to be home. Imagine my embarrassment when I showed up on his doorstep and found nothing. (see photo below)

It appears I'm being pushed aside to satisfy the ginormous ego of my Studious Metsimus colleague. Fine. If he wants to play, I'll play. I can't think of a better topic for this installment of "What Would Joey Do?" Today we'll be talking about grievances.

In 2007, the Mets were trying to sign free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba to a multi-year deal. The deal was set and Yorvit the Frog had pen in hand, ready to leave his John Hancock on the contract. Surprise, surprise! The Mets backed out of the agreement, traded for Brian Schneider and left Torrealba to sign with Colorado.

Soon after, Torrealba filed a grievance against the Mets because of their about-face on the potential three-year deal.

Last week, Carlos Beltran decided to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, apparently without the permission of the team. The Mets have now taken the first step towards a potential grievance case against Beltran's agent, $­������­cott Bora$ and the union, claiming Beltran violated his contract.

So what does this have to do with me? It's simple, really. I'd like to announce that I am filing a grievance against my Studious Metsimus colleague. Because of his actions, I have not been able to blog on the Mets. This has prevented me from advancing my blogging career and picking up sponsors, particularly the ones that would give me free food for plugging their product.

Grievances are not cool. They might cost the Mets extra money if they end up signing Yorvit the Frog to be their catcher now that Funky Cold Molina has re-signed with the San Francisco Giants. They might also damage relationships, such as the one between Carlos Beltran and the team.

I'm willing to take that chance. I know I have my fans. Just look at my Facebook fan page. Also, look how many times I'm mentioned on My Summer Family (which in my opinion would be a much better blog to write for if I want to make a name for myself).

Even Mets Merized Online was kind enough to put my picture in this blog and this other blog.

Perhaps this grievance can be settled out of court and Studious Metsimus can continue to be a site where Mets fans and Mets bloggers can all get along. For now, I'm putting my bear foot down and standing up for what's right. I'd like to thank my fellow Mets fans who support my decision. For those who don't, I'd advise you to stay out of my way. I'm going where no Joey has gone before. Stay tuned...

Vote For Gary Cohen! Let's Get Him Into The Hall Of Fame!

Hey, SMFs! Let's get our fav'rit Mets broadcaster into the National Baseball Hall of Fame! If you have a Facebook account (and you know you do), you can vote for Gary Cohen to receive the 2010 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Fine print: Technically speaking, recipients of the award aren't considered Hall of Famers, as they are not inducted into the Hall of Fame. But they do give speeches during the weekend of the Hall of Fame Induction and their names are included on a plaque in the Hall of Fame's library.

It's so simple to vote, even a Phillies fan can do it. Here are the instructions:

1) Log into your Facebook account and go to http://www.facebook.com/baseballhall.

B) At the top of the page, just under the status message, you will see a line that says "wall, info, events, boxes, photos, poll". Click on "poll", where you will be taken to the page that lists all potential award recipients.

III) Scroll down to Gary Cohen's name and let your finger do the clicking.

There you go, SMFs. It's as easy as that. The best thing about it is that kids DON'T have to ask for their parents' permission to vote, unless if you're grounded and you're not allowed to log on to Facebook. Don't exacerbate things with your parents. If you have been grounded, please leave me a comment here and I will vote for you. After all, multiple votes for the same broadcaster are allowed (and encouraged)!

Thanks for voting! Tell all your friends! Let's get Gary Cohen to Cooperstown without having to buy a ticket for him! He's given us many nights to remember over the radio and now on SNY. Let's give him a weekend to remember in Cooperstown!