23
2013
Mets Sign Ryhne Hughes To Minors Deal, Backman Concerned About Sin City
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February 23 – The Mets have announced they’ve signed first baseman Rhyne Hughes to a minor league contract and that he will report to minor league camp.
Hughes, 29, played 75 games for Double-A Bowie in the Baltimore Orioles system last season. The left-handed hitting Hughes batted .278/.370 OBP/.504 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs and 51 RBI in 313 plate appearances. His only sip of coffee in the majors came in 2010 when he batted .213 in 14 games with the O’s.
Initially drafted in the 50th round of the 2003 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hughes declined to sign with them and was drafted the following year in the 8th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
He has played some right field in the minors, 73 games, and that could be why the Mets were interested But it would take a parting of the Red Sea for him to be anything more than just minor league filler at this point.
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February 22 – The Mets announced that they’ve signed right-hander Andy Wells and outfielder James Roche to minor league deals on Wednesday. Both played in the independent Atlantic League last season and will report to minor league camp. Wells went to Staten Island’s Wagner College os it’s a good bet that he knows what a knish is. Other than that, I know absolutely nothing about these two, and I’ll try and dig something up later today.
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February 22 – In more significant news, the Mets have agreed to a minor-league deal with left-handed reliever Justin Hampson who I’m personally glad to see back. The 32-year-old had a solid campaign with Triple-A Buffalo last season, tossing 65 innings in 51 appearances, while posting a 2.33 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and an 8.1 strikeout rate. In a brief appearance with the Mets, Hampson posted a 1.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 15 appearances out of the pen. He’s going to be useful working with our youngsters in the minors and will provide some quality depth for the Mets bullpen once fatigue and injuries set in – and you know they always do. Welcome back, Justin.
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February 22 - Wally Backman is always thinking ahead. Yesterday he told Jared Diamond of The Journal that he’s concerned about keeping his players on the straight-and-narrow while playing in Sin City. “Guys are going to go out, go to the casinos and lose their money,” Backman said. Their money might not be the only thing they lose in Vegas. (I know, bad joke, so shoot me.)
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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Yup, and it isn’t like our LOOGY options are without question marks. I hope that Pedro is back and ready to go but after that finding someone to slot in behind Edgin could be up in the air. Carson is a big guy and big name but he certainly didn’t claim the position last year and I currently don’t see Gorski as an option. I am intrigued by Laffey but more as a long-relief guy.
I didn’t understand all the excitement over Carson last season. I didn’t think looked that good to me. But I agree with you about having another lefty in the queue like Hampson who has some great splits against LH hitters and has had some success in the majors. Could be important for us during the dog days..
Report is that Pedro has a small hole in his heart but its not life threatening.
Let’s hope its not a metaphor for this team.
I just saw that.
He’s on his way back to NY for further testing? I guess we won’t be seeing him pitch today.
I share Wally’s concern about Vegas…
But it’s not the Casino’s and Gambling thats the main concern….
Certainly not anything on the Strip which is well patrolled and protected for the most part.
They are pretty much just tourist traps and relatively safe to keep those tourist coming.
It’s all the stuff outside of the strip and casinos where you can get in real trouble….Drugs Prostitution everyone has a different scam or angle…
They say there are only two types of people in Las Vegas….
Locals and the SUCKERS….
If your an overly trusting soul that town will eat you alive!
You said it Metsie,
My brother has worked on the strip & now downtown since the 80s and right now he’s working at the D and has to walk by a lousy area all the time to get to work. He tells me some wild stories about those locations you mentioned. And the homeless shelters there? There’s plenty.
The real problem is it takes at most about two weeks to see every hotel on the strip and the truth is they are all so copycat right now once you have seen one you have pretty much seen them all!
So if you live there after a month you start to avoid the strip like a plague and stay away from the traffic and tourists and go to all the other places outside of the strip…
Which is where all the seedy stuff is based! lol
Vegas is very much like a small town with a huge amusement park in the middle that everyone works at but no one goes to for fun…
Most of your time is spent at the neighborhood bar make some friends there and you only go to the strip on Industry nights where all the workers go and party before the tourists come in for the weekend! (Best night for going out in Vegas is Wed and Thurs!)
Once your accepted as a local the other locals will look out for you and give you a heads up on trouble coming your way.
It’s very old school in that sense where if you find a local bar you like and just go there often enough, make friends with the bartenders and get to know the regulars it will be like going to your neighborhood bar where even if trouble rears it’s ugly head you will have someone to back you up.
It’s a place where if you have your head screwed on right, Are not gullable and trusting of everyone’s story and don’t have a problem with Gambling you can do ok….
Get that Nevada Driver’s licence and you get into most clubs for free…(Tourists pay $30 admission! LOL)
But it’s a very dangerous place for Kids who are raging with hormones in the 19-22 YO range where Sex is as easily available as a Diet Coke and Fries. Where giving your number to a lady is more likely to get you a call for rent money than a date and the date is usually predicated on getting that rent money!
Everyone in that town has a hustle going on if your not a good hustler then you don’t live there very long just about the entire town/industry is based on how to get people to do things they know they should not do!
Hard for Kids to resist especially when they are getting a good salary and think they will be making Millions in a few years…