Actually, no they don’t. A physical only happens when a team requests it. For trades, anyway. All players are subject to Spring Training physicals, but by that point it is too late to catch something like Putz.

Mostly, teams work in good faith with each other, but in some cases, physicals have been requested. You hear every once in a while that a deal is contingent upon physicals. But that is because one side requested it.

There are in fact very few rules regarding trades.

“we’re talking about the Mets medical staff so obviously the condition that shelved J.J. went undetected.”

Putz had documented elbow problems in Seattle. Nothing major, but it still should have been a concern. When the Mets medical staff did notice a problem at his Spring Training physical, the front office told everyone to keep quiet about it.

“And still, J.J. has been a great reliever the past two seasons and if he had stayed on, it would not have looked like a bad trade at all.”

But, if the Mets had done their due diligence, the situation probably would have been completely different.

“I blame our misfortune on the world baseball classic.”

I blame it on an all around lack of foresight and process.

” David couldn’t retain the high he had after his walk off hit capped a ninth inning comeback for the U.S. while Putz couldn’t recover from the downer of being the losing pitcher to Canada.”

Or maybe guys, especially pitchers, shouldn’t be in pre-season tournaments.

And still, J.J. has been a great reliever the past two seasons and if he had stayed on, it would not have looked like a bad trade at all.

I blame our misfortune on the world baseball classic. David couldn’t retain the high he had after his walk off hit capped a ninth inning comeback for the U.S. while Putz couldn’t recover from the downer of being the losing pitcher to Canada.

This is the box score. The Yankees feel behind early, came back and held a two run lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Only fault of my memory was that this was the second game of the three game series, not the first. Even though a Met fan, many of us were also rooting for the Yankees for they were sort of on their own miracle run. So I was down after the game as well.

Joe

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197007080BAL

I remember seeing the picture on the back page of the Daily News. It was taken the day after a heartbreaking loss that first game. I think the Yankees were leading going into the bottom of the ninth when Baltimore rallied to win, the winning run coming on a close play at the plate in which Thurman either couldn’t handle the ball or it was too far up the third base line to be played properly. That was in Munson’s rookie year and I remember him just laying on the ground for a few seconds before getting up, the disappointment showing in his face. Will look up the game to see if my memory is still sound.

Joe

Reminded me of a stunt the Orioles pulled on Thurman Munson back in 1970 when the Yankees were making a surprise challenge on them for first place in July. After losing the first of a three game series in the ninth inning in Baltimore, Thuman said the birds weren’t supermen. The next day Paul Blair and a few others walked up to him at the batting cage, opened up their jerseys to reveal a big “S” underneath them. Like David, I don’t think Thurm thought that was funny,either.

I felt the Mets never gave him a chance and gave up too soon. Imagine if we still had J.J. – we would have our closer, KRod would have not mattered much, and our bullpen would be overall stronger going into 2012….., if his $4.5 million salary didn’t cause him to be sent off as well.

Just kidding, but that might be a nice slogan for the Mets this year, being underdogs.

I can’t listen to another word from this silver spoon asshat.

Same guy that went on WFAN in 2009 and made a lot of empty promises, Madoff scandal would not effect team, resources would be available, payroll would not be cut, ALL of which the opposite happened, now this?

Just keep giving the media and late night TV Hosts more material.

Disgrace……..