Good Fundies

On a very special and nice episode of Good Fundies, the boys just dove into the mailbag and never came up for air.

After discussing if the fake baseball is exciting or not and the changes in Roger's life (some exciting, some boring), the Good Fundies guys answered listener questions about the first baseman situation with Dom Smith and Adrian Gonzalez (28:00), if the Met injury reports are overkill (31:00), what will happen if Matt Harvey has a good or great season (40:00), if Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are better than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Baby Ruth bars (51:45), how concerned they are on a METCON level regarding Steven Matz (01:02:00), if Gerson Bautista will make the roster (01:12:00), why Adam Lind wasn't signed (01:13:10), if it's more likely David Wright will hit 10 homers or Harvey wins 15 games or Mejia gets one save (01:17:15), if they like Travis d'Arnaud more than Kevin Plawecki (01:20:15), if the team is too cautious with Jacob deGrom (01:28:15), who they trust the most between Harvey/Lugo/Gsellman/Wheeler/Montero and Matz (01:32:20), and what they think the Mets payroll to revenue ratio is compared to the Yankees and the rest of baseball (01:38:30).

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Thank you to Dean Martin for the music.

Jason Vargas is here, actual baseball is almost here, and Abbey Mastracco was here on a new Good Fundies!

First, Roger said goodbye to Matt Reynolds (04:30) before the boys got into the Jason Vargas signing (09:20), realized it was a new episode of "That's Not What We Meant!" (11:15), and thought there is more optimism to the Mets then there was three weeks ago (21:00).

Then, Mets beat writer Abbey Mastracco from NJ.com/NJ Advance Media joined in (29:30). She talked about Vargas' Dirtbag days (32:20), the difference between a Terry Collins spring training and a Mickey Callaway spring training (35:00), trying to solve the enigma that is Rafael Montero (43:00),Tim Tebow (46:20), her IMDb credit and Will Ferrell (50:00), Mike Scioscia (54:00), Wilmer Flores: Outfielder (56:10), Yoenis Cespedes and water (01:02:20), David Wright (01:07:00), not lying about PJ Conlon (01:08:00), if Mickey Callaway is for real (01:14:30), the perfect tagline for Twitter (01:18:30), Todd Frazier's unintentional imitation of one of the 'Friends' characters (01:23:20), which Met has the best beard (01:25:40), and practically everything else.

In the mailbag, the boys were asked if Wheeler will get suspended for self-injecting bone medicine (01:35:30), who the best and worst Met in the Winter Olympics would be (01:37:10), their thoughts on a lot of teams tanking (01:40:00), which Met pitcher should start Opening Day (01:44:30), their thoughts on the Trump Jr shark photo (01:48:00), if Roger will ever not be 'The Other Guy' (02:01:00), and if Wilmer Flores is a better outfielder than Montero as a pitcher (02:03:15)

If you’re a writer and have a baseball story idea, pitch us at [email protected].

If you want to donate to our Patreon to help us pay for good writing, and to get exclusive material some consider “neat”, you can find us at patreon.com/goodfundies

Thank you to Poi Dog Pondering and 2Pac for the music.

The boys of Good Fundies broke down the Todd Frazier signing and had a talk with relief pitcher Kevin McGowan!

Brian and Roger talked about newest Met Todd Frazier's real birthplace (04:45), their initial and current reactions to the signing (09:25), what the team has to do the next to compete (16:25), what to expect from Frazier in 2018 (23:00), his weird walk rate spike (25:30), his barrels (43:00), and where the Mets stand now (55:00).

Then the two conversed with New Hampshire's own Kevin McGowan. The pitcher talked about his new manager Mickey Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland (01:07:00), growing up hating the Yankees (01:10:00), striking out Kris Bryant (01:12:00), pointing at home runs (01:14:00), AJ Ramos' Instagram videos (01:17:30), his listed height (01:18:50), the Super Bowl and his beloved Patriots (01:23:30 for an eerily accurate prediction), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (01:26:00), finding housing in the big leagues (01:28:00),the non-joys of travel (01:30:00), the legend of Matt Reynolds (01:31:30), cutting his hair like Jacob deGrom (01:32:00), pitch clocks and bullpen carts (01:33:15), growing up watching Pedro Martinez pitch (01:37:30), Franklin Pierce trivia (01:47:00), what he would change to Major League Baseball (01:48:00), fear but not loathing in Las Vegas (01:52:45), being roommates with Amed Rosario (01:57:30) and Dominic Smith (01:59:45), and so much more goodness.

Then the boys pontificated on David Wright's future (02:10:00), if Tim Lincecum should be given a shot (02:14:00), and if they should ask Matt Reynolds or Rafael Montero to guest on the podcast next (02:17:00).

Don’t forget to rate us on iTunes if you haven’t yet, and if you like us.

If you’re a writer and have a baseball story idea, pitch us at [email protected].

If you want to donate to our Patreon to help us pay for good writing, and to get exclusive material some consider “neat”, you can find us at patreon.com/goodfundies

Thank you to ESG and Eddie Money for the music.

The triumphant return of BRIAN ON THE STREET and the debut of THAT'S NOT WHAT WE MEANT headline the latest episode of GOOD FUNDIES.

After the boys talked about friend of the pod Ty Kelly signing with the Mets (05:00) and congratulated Callie on getting her Citi Field prom pics (07:45), Brian and Roger gabbed about the return of Jose Reyes (10:30) and Jeff Wilpon trying and failing immensely to properly address the Mets' payroll issues (17:00) in their new segment THAT'S NOT WHAT WE MEANT!

After the two wondered if a Director of High Performance will matter if the Wilpons continue to meddle in team medical affairs, as reported again over the weekend(36:00), they presented the 2018 edition of BRIAN ON THE STREET. Brian asked Mets trivia questions the only way him and Billy Eichner know how at the #QBC (01:04:00). One of the contestants was WOR's Pete McCarthy, and he was pretty good!

Then in the mailbag segment, the boys mulled over whether the Mets will have a higher winning percentage than Trump or the Wilpons' approval rating (01:31:55), who will have the most saves in the bullpen this year (01:34:40), the Mets not signing Jacob deGrom to an extension (01:37:50), who they would take between Eduardo Nunez, Neil Walker, Todd Frazier, or Josh Harrison (01:42:25), if Brandon Nimmo should try the infield out (01:50:55), and if there's a collusion transpiring (01:54:50).

If you're a writer and have a baseball story idea, pitch us at [email protected].

If you want to donate to our Patreon to help us pay for good writing, and to get exclusive material some consider "neat", you can find us at patreon.com/goodfundies

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In light of the Mets getting him back, Brian ended his legendary silence about Jay Bruce (07:00). Then he and Roger discussed if the Mets would have signed Bruce if they had more money and what this all means for Michael Conforto (14:30), who was responsible for backing off of the Jason Kipnis trade(16:20), the days when Brian was considered an optimist and a 'shill' (22:30), how the Mets have somehow overspent and outthought themselves anyway (26:40), Adrian Gonzalez (33:50), why Gonzalez signed with the Mets in the first place (39:30), what the Mets are doing exactly (46:30), the Nationals getting a second baseman back at a cheap price (51:20), and if Josh Harrison is better than Wilmer Flores (53:40).

Then Brian got mad at Wilmer Flores' lack of playing time all over again (58:45) before Roger said goodbye to Addison Reed once more (01:02:55). Some talk on the new Mets Director of High Performance (01:05:30) and who they think will get taken off the 40 man roster (01:07:30) before the boys of Good Fundies wrapped it up with thinking about their favorite Mets walk-offs (01:10:20).

Corrections: Brian said Yonder Alonso signed with the Reds. He signed with the Cleveland team formerly known as the Bruceians.

Roger said Bing Crosby sang 'Blue Christmas'. He sang the popular version of 'White Christmas'. Roger however was correct about the other thing he said about him.

Thanks to Chromatics for the music.

Hey you fellow Swarziaks, it's the first Good Fundies episode of 2018!

Brian and Roger returned to talk about Anthony Swarzak (03:00), their new year's resolutions (11:15), the legitimately surprising end result to Roger writing about Keith Hernandez's connections to Richard Nixon and Donald Trump (21:15), the return of Omar Minaya (36:00), Ken Rosenthal calling Mets fans 'shrill' (44:35), and why so many free agents remain available in baseball (01:00:10).

Then in the mailbag, the two are asked if the Winter Classic will be the best game at Citi Field all season (01:03:08), if Brandon Nimmo is ready for a breakout year and if Juan Lagares should be dealt (01:07:20), the chances of Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom staying healthy all next year (01:16:00), if Dominic Smith will be the starting first baseman (01:20:00), which Met is each Star Wars movie (01:31:00), and more.

Note: Roger will tell his Mets employee tale next time. He apologizes for the tease.

Thank you to The Kinks for the music.

The ineffable Dan Szymborski (Fangraphs, ESPN) returned for what was definitely the second time on the Good Fundies holiday special, officially making it a tradition.

In the aftermath of Marc Carig's article wanting answers from ownership, and hearing from literally hundreds of frustrated Mets fans, Brian talked about the new fan movement designed to help bring about positive change to the franchise(11:15).

Then Szymborski Claus talked about which Star Wars character's son he would be (43:00), the accents used on Game of Thrones and The Wire (44:15), poetic ZiPS comparisons like Dominic Smith and Adam Lind (51:00), the projections on the 2018 Mets starting rotation (55:25), the secret Michael Conforto career projections (01:05:00), the Anthony Swarzak signing's effect on the Mets' postseason odds (01:07:50), Jason Kipnis (01:11:40), which Game of Thrones character Mickey Callaway is (01:13:00), 2018 Jay Bruce predictions if he became a Met again (01:17:00), where the Mets will finish in the NL East (01:32:40), if Travis d'Arnaud or Kevin Plawecki can play better shortstop than Asdrubal Cabrera or Jose Reyes (01:37:25), which players were literally traded for food (01:38:45), and many other gifts.

In the final mailbag of 2017, the boys of Good Fundies were asked which Met would buy the biggest Christmas tree and be the biggest grinch (01:52:36), how much Sandy Alderson is to blame (01:59:10), if the Yankees will win a title before the Mets win another playoff game (02:02:00), if they would rather be a GM, manager, or agent (02:20:20), and more. Then they gave some final words for 2017, and a reason for hope in 2018 (02:31:00)

Thank you to everybody for listening this year. Happy Holidays, and Good Fundies to you and your loved ones.

Roger and Brian chatted about Shohei Ohtani spurning the Mets despite their multimedia presentation(17:30), the Mets continuing to not spend money (19:55), Ubaldo Jimenez (27:25), Carlos Santana (35:30), how getting Ian Kinsler would be such a Mets move (39:05), why the Mets wouldn't just try to be in on Giancarlo Stanton (44:10), their feelings on Carlos Beltran not getting the Yankees managerial job (47:35), Terry Collins' new nickname (49:10), Jordany Valdespin's weird tweet (50:00), Matt Harvey getting tendered a contract (51:00), their preference for who will martyr themselves as the new Mets Santa (54:20), Brandon Nimmo and when in a player's career umps start giving them close calls (57:00), a possible Jay Bruce return (01:01:50), Bryan Shaw (01:03:20), Dominic Smith and the folly of minor league defensive scouting (01:05:50), and if Dan Warthen was truly to blame for not using technology (01:13:40).

Of course that isn't it because in the mailbag segment the Good Fundies boys guessed on which Met would be most into Black Friday and Cyber Monday (01:08:50), if Matt Adams should be considered as a Dom Smith stopgap (01:23:20), if a baby should experience their first Mets Opening Day with SNY or WOR (01:25:05), if Shohei Ohtani will have a higher WAR as a pitcher or position player (01:32:45), how devastated they are over not getting Aaron Boone to manage (01:35:00), and if they would trade Robert Gsellman for Whit Merrifield and his 80s actor name (01:38:50).

Thank you to Joy Division for the music.

Former Met Ty Kelly joined the Good Fundies boys! He talked about playing in the 2016 Wild Card Game (17:30), if he brings up how he got a hit off of Madison Bumgarner every single day (18:40), going vegan and if he still eats at Chipotle (20:10), growing up a Giants and A's and Braves fan because of 'Saved by the Bell'(24:40), the funniest Met besides himself (26:00), how to make friends in baseball (27:20), his excellent memory of opposing pitchers (30:40), the trouble with playing in Las Vegas (33:10), the superpowers and wondrous hair of Matt Reynolds (35:10), who has the best hair on the Mets (35:40), transitioning from Triple-A to the majors (37:05), the challenges of mostly playing on the bench (41:20), how he compares to Mike Trout (43:30), the dumb jock stereotype (49:40), the one thing he would change if he were the commissioner (51:00), if the balls are juiced (54:50), challenges (56:00), and how one organization did spring training much better than anybody else (57:35).

Before that convo, Roger and Brian talked about Carlos Beltran (05:20). After that convo, they determined who the worst player the Mets could get in free agency (01:06:40), Todd Frazier (01:11:20), Sandy Alderson's talk about Dominic Smith (01:13:10),

Marc Carig (Newsday) and Rich MacLeod (MLB.com, BP Mets) joined us for a twofer on a very special Ghoul Fundies.

After Roger was wished a Happy Scareadays season from a very old ghoul (01:40), Brian and Roger talked about new Mets manager Mickey Callaway (08:30), and the details of the not so smooth purchase of the Triple-A Syracuse franchise you probably don't know about (13:00).

Then Marc Carig joined the Good Fundies boys and discussed the latest news on Asdrubal Cabrera and Jerry Blevins' options (34:15), what it was like to walk into the Mets clubhouse the day after his now famous piece on Terry Collins (38:45), Mickey Callaway(46:42), how TC handled his players (52:20), why the team released Nori Aoki (56:30), not writing about this year's World Series(57:35), how he would have approached writing about the crazy Game 5 (59:25), his Series prediction (01:02:50), if the balls are juiced or not (01:08:00), and how he's celebrating Halloween (01:11:40).

Then Rich MacLeod stepped up to the plate. After Roger kept asking him what the MLB replay hub is really like (01:16:00), he talked about having to edit videos of the Mets stinking (01:17:00), why he still bothers with #MetsTwitter (01:23:00), how late MLB employees work during the postseason (01:26:00), what Ryan Church told him about his concussion and missing third base(01:27:30), Church's reaction to Ray Ramirez's dismissal (01:32:00), and of course his World Series prediction (01:37:45).

In the mailbag, the boys were asked if the Mets should go trade for Dee Gordon (01:46:30), if Brian would rather live alone with Jay Bruce on a deserted island instead of TC or Rafael Montero (01:49:40), and if RA Dickey should return to Flushing (01:51:15).

You can now prove to us you have good fundamentals by donating to our Patreon page at patreon.com/goodfundies

Thanks to Bobby "Boris" Pickett and George Michael for the music.