Good Fundies

Brian and Roger asked what the most important, impactful, and defining stories and moments of 2016 were for the New York Mets. Using those suggestions with the hashtag #Mets2016Top10, the two put together their own lists and combined them to create an ultimate countdown on the podcast. Did Mike Piazza's Hall of Fame induction make it to the top? What about Yoenis Cespedes agreeing to play for the Mets on two separate occasions? Maybe a not so pleasant memory made it to the top! What do I know? I'm just a synopsis.

The two also dipped into the mailbag for the first time in 2017, and reminded listeners that January is Matt Harvey blocks @brianpmangan on Twitter Awareness Month.

Roger and Brian wished each other, as well as the listeners, a very happy holiday season and new year, before they talked about the recently quiet Mets offseason, as well as the fairly funny (to Mets fans) Winter Meetings the Nationals just had, before admitting that the Nationals still might be the better team. They then had a long chat with Very Special guest Dan Szymborski of ESPN, who talked about which team is the one to beat in the NL East, the history of ZiPS, why he didn't name it SiPS, the Baseball Think Factory days, the massive trade value of Ecto Cooler in the school cafeteria, what to expect from Cespedes moving forward, how Curtis Granderson is like the suit you wore to the high school prom, getting dirty looks at Ned Yost media sessions, his feud with Murray Chass, the one player he wished Carl Everett played with, and more if you can believe it.

Brian and Roger were joined by Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal! He talked about the possible lockout, what really goes on during the Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 draft, the excellent newsletter he writes with Mike Vorkunov, and what Yoenis Cespedes' signing portends for the future of the rest of the Mets outfield.

Oh yeah, Cespedes signed with the Mets (pending a physical no jinx). Brian and Roger talked about that a bunch, as well as if the Yo signing means the Mets are now capable of spending like a big market team, if its legal to have two players on top of one another at one position, and who they would like to see play third, center, and right field.

Roger and Brian said so long to two beloved players - Bartolo Colon and Eric Campbell, and hello again to Neil Walker, and wondered if the additions and subtractions will equal better things. Then the two ran down the top free agents in baseball and figured out who would make excellent new Mets. Brian again made it very clear he will be very upset if Yoenis Cespedes left, and gave Jay Bruce a cruel title. He also broke his historic silence on the hiring of Glenn Sherlock, and while Roger said cutter when he meant two-seamer, he did explain how Sandy Koufax helped shape "Gilmore Girls".

The two also gave thanks to the best of the Mets and to their listeners, the best-looking listeners in the world.

Brian and Roger returned to talk about that crazy World Series and how Cleveland can't handle winning. They also started the hot stove speculation on where Yoenis Cespedes will end up, how the team should approach their 2017 bullpen, applauded Binghamton for naming the Mets' Double-A squad the Rumble Ponies, and wondered if the Mets should just go ahead and rename themselves the Rumble Ponies too. The boys also dipped into the mailbag, realized how much Noah Syndergaard was robbed of a Cy Young nomination, touched on that recent election, and recounted that time Roger thought it was Usher when in fact it really was Usher.

Roger and Brian hosted the first ever Fundies awards, celebrating the best and worst and everything in-between of the 2016 Mets season. They also interpreted Wilmer Flores' enigmatic snapchat pics and talked about the playoffs and the upcoming World Series, which apparently, despite the lack of Mets involvement is still scheduled to take place. In the mailbag, they tried to find a place for eight potential starting pitchers in next year's rotation. They apologize for their congestion and remind everybody it's an honor just to be nominated.

Roger and Brian talked about the wild card game, praising Noah Syndergaard but mostly they figured out where things went wrong. They also explored jinxes and weird superstitions before getting into which pending free agents on the team - including Yoenis Cespedes - the Mets should keep. They were so bummed out and annoyed that a listener asked specifically about Brian's current mental health. They should be fine, or as fine as they are capable. We will get through this together.

To celebrate the Mets making the postseason (yay!), here's a bonus installment of Good Fundies. This was the mailbag portion of the show Roger and Brian recorded a few nights ago that was just too entertaining (weird) to be put on the regular episode. They talked Fernando Salas, Jay Bruce, if David Wright should become the manager, and Brian asked Roger a couple of ethics questions after Brian promised Roger he wouldn't call him a monster again.

In the regular season finale of Good Fundies, Brian and Roger have a pleasant discourse over which Met would do best in a debate. Then they set the Mets' wild card game roster (no jinx!) for Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson before figuring out who made Terry's "circle of trust" and will come out of the bullpen.

They also talked about how sad Jim Halpert was on The Office, how annoying Ryan Howard was on both The Office and the Phillies over the last decade, felt bad for Steven Matz, and put the Mets' ridiculous injury reporting practices on blast. Also, Roger at one point accidentally did an impersonation of Dracula impersonating Will Smith from "Concussion".

Roger and Brian also talked about Jose Fernandez, and the legacy he left behind. Hug the ones you love, as well as the ones who are finally starting to hit some home runs.

Roger eulogized the late Jacob 'deGrominator' deGrom before he cursed the day the Warthen Slider was invented. Brian got into Jay Bruce's troubles and if he would shoot him out of a cannon before the also struggling Travis d'Arnaud. The two discussed if Lucas Duda should get some more playing time in these final days before a listener asked why they pick on James Loney so darn much. The two talked proper Mets booing etiquette, and they dipped into a particularly anti-Terry Collins mailbag. There's a John Olerud reference.

P.S. The Braves are jerks.