As I'm sure you've noticed, this blog has been pretty inactive for the last couple of weeks. This is because this is not a blog about the Mets, but rather about the Mets as they exist through my eyes, and I haven't seen that much of them lately. Between firm events at night and my sister becoming Mrs. Gottlieb, I haven't had that many opportunities to watch games on TV, never mind make it to the ballpark.
I did, however, go to the game this past Sunday, and it was a special occasion because I took my 7-year old nephew Ilan to what was his 1st ever Mets' game. He was so excited by the game that he at first refused to get up from our seats in the upper deck to move down to field level because he was nervous he would miss some of the action. Later in the game, I left to get food for us (of course he refused to come with me, because he is a baseball freak and can't miss a single pitch.) When I came back with a carton full of food, sat down, and handed him his hot dog, he insists "I have to wash." I couldn't believe he was serious. Now I had to get up again, take him to the bathroom to wash, and come back. If I was Uri, I would call him "Mussar Haskel," but I'm not, so I will just more accurately call him "annoying."
What was amazing to me was the body of incorrect knowledge he came into the game with. For some reason it had been planted in his mind: a) that the Arizona Diamondbacks have the best player in baseball, although he didn't remember the player's name b) by rule, a pitcher must be removed from the game after 91 pitches. It beats me where he picked up such nuanced tidbits of information that are so blatantly wrong.
The Mets have been up and down the last couple of weeks, as they have suffered injuries in their outfield and had to get by with a makeshift lineup.
The big news of the day, though, is that Pedro threw off a mound for the 1st time yesterday. Somehow Pedro throwing a few pitches was more exciting to me than the 12 inning game they played last night. Pedro just still has that x-factor aspect to him that just brings such an incredible excitement to everything that surrounds him and everything he affects. I can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like at Shea when he finally takes the mound at Shea, hopefully later this summer.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Our Town
I discussed with Eric after the game Sunday night whether I could use this as my title even though the Mets failed to sweep, and he said no. I have defied them. The Empire State Building has the Mets' colors and whether we won 2 of 3 or all 3, right now this is clearly a Mets town. For the 1st time ever, the Mets were clearly the better team headed into the Subway Series and the pressure was on them to take 2 out of 3; and they did. And, of course, none of it came easy. A 3-2 win Friday night in possibly the quickest game ever played, followed by what should have been an easy win until Wagner gave us a scare as his custom to do with 4 run leads in the 9th inning of the Saturday game. (As an aside, anyone who thinks Wagner was trying to protect his ERA with that bonehead play is a moron. You are absolutely out of your mind, Abe.) And then going for the sweep on Sunday, the Mets fell into last season's trap, as they couldn't get anything going against a pitcher making his major league debut and John Maine stunk again.
For me the Subway Series is as close as we get to a playoff atmosphere before October. The energy in the stadium is incredible, as the crowd hangs on every pitch. Much like the playoffs, these games are the only times I find myself counting outs in my head whenever the Mets have a lead. But there is something about this series I had never really thought about: Why is it called the "Subway Series?" This was the question asked of me by a Japanese tourist who was visiting NY outside the stadium, as I walked to my car. He was confused because they call it the Subway Series despite the fact that it seems many of the fans used their cars to get to and from the game. I explained that I thought that the subway was considered to be a defining characteristic of NY and that the stadiums each have subway lines that connect to them. Eric confirmed that this was the correct analysis as did Wikipedia. Still, I found it interesting that I had so naturally referred to Mets-Yankees games as the Subway Series for 10 years without ever stopping to think about why it was called that. Maybe the real reason is so that Japanese tourists would ask questions.
Total Mets' games attended: 10
Record: 6-4 (4-4 at home)
Money spent on games: $85
Total games attended: 13 (6 total stadiums)
Money spent on all games: $127
For me the Subway Series is as close as we get to a playoff atmosphere before October. The energy in the stadium is incredible, as the crowd hangs on every pitch. Much like the playoffs, these games are the only times I find myself counting outs in my head whenever the Mets have a lead. But there is something about this series I had never really thought about: Why is it called the "Subway Series?" This was the question asked of me by a Japanese tourist who was visiting NY outside the stadium, as I walked to my car. He was confused because they call it the Subway Series despite the fact that it seems many of the fans used their cars to get to and from the game. I explained that I thought that the subway was considered to be a defining characteristic of NY and that the stadiums each have subway lines that connect to them. Eric confirmed that this was the correct analysis as did Wikipedia. Still, I found it interesting that I had so naturally referred to Mets-Yankees games as the Subway Series for 10 years without ever stopping to think about why it was called that. Maybe the real reason is so that Japanese tourists would ask questions.
Total Mets' games attended: 10
Record: 6-4 (4-4 at home)
Money spent on games: $85
Total games attended: 13 (6 total stadiums)
Money spent on all games: $127
Thursday, May 17, 2007
What Rain?
Last night, we decided not to go to the game because it was supposed to rain and sounded like it might get rained out. So we were sitting in the apartment at like 9 when I ask, "If they decide to play the game, should we quickly drive over to the stadium and go?" Abe and Hal were immediately on board. Sure enough, moments later, Hal heard on the radio that they were going to be playing the game, so we got in the car and drove in what was still pouring game to Shea. It was definitely very strange to be driving in a downpour, headed to a ballgame, but they claimed they were playing and we had to be there. As it turns out, they started the game at 10:15, after most of the west coast games had already begun.
Jorge Sosa pitched magnificently and we were lucky enough to be out of there before 1am with an 8-1 win. Once the rain was gone, it was actually a beautiful night out and the 1,500 or so that decided to either stay or arrive late were treated to an easy, economical win. The best part is that as a compensation for the terrible inconvenience we suffered, we will receive free tickets to a game against the Twins in June.
The NY Post has planted someone to spy on us because their headline today for the game was "Worth The Wait," the very phrase that was written at one point on our whiteboard. Tomorrow's Post headline: "Vic Has VD."
As for today's game, what can you say? I can't say much because I didn't see it. I was forced to follow it on gamecast during my Westlaw training but it seemed very exciting. Best part of all was seeing Delgado and Wright getting the big hits in the 9th. What was that you said, Eric, about this team lacking a comeback ability?
Finally, I would like to introduce a new feature I will be adding to my blogs. At the bottom of a blog I will be posting a running tally of the number of games I have been to this year (both Mets and others) and the accumulated dollars spent on going to those games, so I will have a nice summary at season's end.
Total Mets' games attended: 9
Record: 6-3 (4-3 at home)
Money spent on games: $50
Total games attended: 12 (6 total stadiums)
Money spent on all games: $92
Bring on the Yankees...
Jorge Sosa pitched magnificently and we were lucky enough to be out of there before 1am with an 8-1 win. Once the rain was gone, it was actually a beautiful night out and the 1,500 or so that decided to either stay or arrive late were treated to an easy, economical win. The best part is that as a compensation for the terrible inconvenience we suffered, we will receive free tickets to a game against the Twins in June.
The NY Post has planted someone to spy on us because their headline today for the game was "Worth The Wait," the very phrase that was written at one point on our whiteboard. Tomorrow's Post headline: "Vic Has VD."
As for today's game, what can you say? I can't say much because I didn't see it. I was forced to follow it on gamecast during my Westlaw training but it seemed very exciting. Best part of all was seeing Delgado and Wright getting the big hits in the 9th. What was that you said, Eric, about this team lacking a comeback ability?
Finally, I would like to introduce a new feature I will be adding to my blogs. At the bottom of a blog I will be posting a running tally of the number of games I have been to this year (both Mets and others) and the accumulated dollars spent on going to those games, so I will have a nice summary at season's end.
Total Mets' games attended: 9
Record: 6-3 (4-3 at home)
Money spent on games: $50
Total games attended: 12 (6 total stadiums)
Money spent on all games: $92
Bring on the Yankees...
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Return To Shea
Well, after spending last week touring other teams' ballparks, I returned this week to good 'ol Shea. It may not have the modern luxuries or amenities of the new stadiums around the league, but it has a certain charm to it and Shea will always be Shea. That being said, I am counting down the days till CitiField opens its doors just like everyone else.
I was at the games on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, so I will share with you my brief thoughts on those 3 games.
Sunday: Oliver Perez was outstanding, giving up 1 run on 2 hits over 8 innings. I was actually almost a little happy that he gave up that 2nd hit to start the 9th so that I wouldn't have to look back at the game and see Chris Capuano's bloop single in the 3rd inning as what stood between me seeing the Mets' 1st ever no-hitter in person. We actually had no idea that Carlos Gomez had been called up before the game. As we walked in the stadium, we saw that there was no picture in the 8 spot where it shows the lineup outside the park, but we were just confused by this. Then, as we sat in our seats in Field Level on the right field line, we realized that the RF's jersey said "Gomez" on the back, which took a few seconds to register before I was like, "Wait, is that CARLOS Gomez?" We frantically started making our calls and learned that he had been called up that morning and had been head-shaved as soon as he arrived. (On that front, it is interesting to note that it seems the Mets' minhag is to keep the 1st days of the Omer and allow haircuts after Lag Ba'Omer, except for Aaron Sele, who keeps inventing different excuses for why he can't join the rest of his team.) We started several Car-los Go-mez chants in our section to celebrate his debut. If he would like further such chants when he appears at Shea Stadium he will have to either have a hall of fame career with us and return with another team or make an all-time great catch in Game 7 of the NLCS. Nothing else will do.
Monday: I have been complaining all year that there was a certain type of game that the Mets had won all the time last year but had been unable to pull out yet this year. They finally did it Monday night. The type of game in question is the one where the starter doesn't have it early and we fall behind and get bailed out by the offense. Glavine didn't end up getting 295, but it was good to see the offense finally get a starter off the hook when they didn't have their good stuff. Really solid win for the Mets, culminating in an amazingly disciplined, 10-pitch at bat that ended with Delgado drawing a bases loaded walk-off walk. Let's hope he can start to get things going.
Tuesday: Several times in my life I have been fortunate enough to sit in seats in field level behind the plate, several rows back, under the net. Every single one of those times, the Mets have gotten crushed. Last night was no exception. We sat in the Hagler seats, which are about 12 feet behind and 4 feet to the right of the home plate umpire. So we had a perfect view to watch John Maine and Scott Schoenweiss get drilled all night. My worry about Maine is that he was getting a lot of outs early in the year by getting batters to swing at pitches out of the zone and that the league has caught up to him and are now taking those pitches. As a result, he has been walking more batters the last few starts and falling behind in the count, forcing him to leave more pitches out over the plate that then end up bouncing against the wall. Let's hope he can find his stuff again and make the necessary adjustments going forward.
It looks like it's gonna rain tonight, so we could be looking at a doubleheader tomorrow. Stay tuned...
I was at the games on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, so I will share with you my brief thoughts on those 3 games.
Sunday: Oliver Perez was outstanding, giving up 1 run on 2 hits over 8 innings. I was actually almost a little happy that he gave up that 2nd hit to start the 9th so that I wouldn't have to look back at the game and see Chris Capuano's bloop single in the 3rd inning as what stood between me seeing the Mets' 1st ever no-hitter in person. We actually had no idea that Carlos Gomez had been called up before the game. As we walked in the stadium, we saw that there was no picture in the 8 spot where it shows the lineup outside the park, but we were just confused by this. Then, as we sat in our seats in Field Level on the right field line, we realized that the RF's jersey said "Gomez" on the back, which took a few seconds to register before I was like, "Wait, is that CARLOS Gomez?" We frantically started making our calls and learned that he had been called up that morning and had been head-shaved as soon as he arrived. (On that front, it is interesting to note that it seems the Mets' minhag is to keep the 1st days of the Omer and allow haircuts after Lag Ba'Omer, except for Aaron Sele, who keeps inventing different excuses for why he can't join the rest of his team.) We started several Car-los Go-mez chants in our section to celebrate his debut. If he would like further such chants when he appears at Shea Stadium he will have to either have a hall of fame career with us and return with another team or make an all-time great catch in Game 7 of the NLCS. Nothing else will do.
Monday: I have been complaining all year that there was a certain type of game that the Mets had won all the time last year but had been unable to pull out yet this year. They finally did it Monday night. The type of game in question is the one where the starter doesn't have it early and we fall behind and get bailed out by the offense. Glavine didn't end up getting 295, but it was good to see the offense finally get a starter off the hook when they didn't have their good stuff. Really solid win for the Mets, culminating in an amazingly disciplined, 10-pitch at bat that ended with Delgado drawing a bases loaded walk-off walk. Let's hope he can start to get things going.
Tuesday: Several times in my life I have been fortunate enough to sit in seats in field level behind the plate, several rows back, under the net. Every single one of those times, the Mets have gotten crushed. Last night was no exception. We sat in the Hagler seats, which are about 12 feet behind and 4 feet to the right of the home plate umpire. So we had a perfect view to watch John Maine and Scott Schoenweiss get drilled all night. My worry about Maine is that he was getting a lot of outs early in the year by getting batters to swing at pitches out of the zone and that the league has caught up to him and are now taking those pitches. As a result, he has been walking more batters the last few starts and falling behind in the count, forcing him to leave more pitches out over the plate that then end up bouncing against the wall. Let's hope he can find his stuff again and make the necessary adjustments going forward.
It looks like it's gonna rain tonight, so we could be looking at a doubleheader tomorrow. Stay tuned...
Monday, May 14, 2007
Back From The Road
The Mets went on the road last week. So did I. I went on a road trip with Kraut and Eric, visiting Atlanta, Birmingham, Tupelo, Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City. We attended games in Atlanta, St. Louis, and Kansas City. I know many of you probably went into serious avsmetsblog withdrawal over the last week or so, but rest assured that I am back and ready to continue sharing my thoughts with you going forward. I will start by giving you a brief recap of our trip and then get back to business.
So as an intro to the trip, it's important to know that in the week before, Eric and I decided that there was no need to check a bag. Kraut insisted he needed to. Well, we land in Atlanta and surprise, surprise, Kraut's bad didn't make it with our plane, so we had to wait an hour for the next flight, which had his bag. Dumbass. Turner Field has the most amazing scoreboard I have ever seen. It's huge, it's HD, it's awesome. Even though I was rooting against the Braves, I bought a foam tomahawk so that I could participate in the incessant tomahawk chops. This was part of a larger plan, whereby I bought one souvenir item in each state we visited. I also made sure to drink a beer and take a dump in every state that was fortunate enough to host us. One interesting thing I noticed about the fans in the stadium is that there were many people wearing Chipper Jones jerseys and quite a few wearing Jeff Franceour shirts but virtually nobody wearing anything Andruw Jones related, despite the fact that he is indisputably their best player and has been for quite a few years now. Perhaps it's because Chipper and Jeff belong to one race and Andruw belongs to another. Just throwing it out there. Otherwise, Atlanta was pretty unremarkable. We visited Centennial Park, which was built for the '96 Olympics, and MLK's house and grave, which was pretty cool, and CNN headquarters, where we were repeatedly lied to.
Our next stop was Talladega, home to the famous Talladega Speedway. Unfortunately, the Speedway itself was closed, so we were only able to take pictures from the outside. Overall, this stop on the trip was dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
We proceeded to Birmingham, which didn't have much going on other than a park with a giant statue called "Vulcan" that you can climb to the top of and see the entire city from, which was pretty cool, except that you have to stand on a metal grate that you can see through the bottom of, so you think you're gonna die. We didn't though, which enabled us to continue to the next leg of our trip: Tupelo, Mississippi.
Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis as well as the birthplace of "A lesson in Hashgacha Pratis," a hit video coming soon to a theater near you. Be on the lookout for it in the coming days. It is also home to a Civil War battlefield that is roughly the size of Danciger Quadrangle. Overall, Tupelo sucks. In the words of the woman in out hotel who gave us directions, "As you're driving through downtown, don't blink or you might miss it."
We arrived in Memphis that afternoon and went for a tour of Sun Studios, where many artists, including Elvis and Johnny Cash, recorded their 1st albums. The cool thing about this place was that it has been kept totally intact from those times, so you can actually stand exactly where Elvis stood and hold the microphone he used. While Kraut did some legitimate business work at a local Kinkos, Eric and I travelled across the Tennessee-Arkansas border to be yotzei another state. We visited a small town called Earle, Arkansas, which looks exactly how you would imagine every small town in America (not NY or LA- the shit in the middle) to look. We then returned to Memphis and visited Graceland, which was cool and creepy at the same time. I don't think I will ever get the Elvis thing. There is no doubt in my mind that Graceland is real avodah zara because the level of Elvis worship and glorification that exists there is absurd. We concluded our stay in Memphis by spending the night on Beale Street, which i absolutely loved. It runs like 4 blocks long and is closed off from traffic, Ben Yehuda style. The entire block is filled with bars, shops, and cafes, 8 or 9 of which had live bands playing on the Tuesday night we were there. Additionally, the FedEx Forum, where the Grizzlies play is on street level right off Beale, which probably makes it an awesome place to hang out here before or after a game.
We arrived in St. Louis that night in the pouring rain at an Econo Lodge that seemed like it was taken directly out of "Psycho." It was run down, the door to our room didn't close, and we got mysterious phone calls. In short, I am shocked we weren't murdered. This place didn't compare to any of the Comfort Inns (sorry Eric, Comforts Inn) that we stayed in, which were all very, very comfortable (cotton balls included.) St. Louis is a pretty uninteresting city. It has the Gateway Arch and it has a baseball stadium. That's pretty much it. You can see the Arch from the baseball stadium and you can see the baseball stadium from the Arch, so you can pretty much visit one and you're good to go. Busch Stadium is probably the nicest stadium I have attended a game in thus far. It's similar to Citizens Bank, just not as rigid and geometric and with a much better skyline view. It was also cool to be in a stadium that is sold out on a Thursday day game, but I guess that comes along with a new stadium and being the defending champs.
Our last stop was Kansas City, where we started by visiting the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. It was actually quite interesting and surprisingly fair and balanced in their coverage of his presidency (for example, there was an entire exhibit devoted to historians to criticize his use of the bomb in Japan at the end of WWII.) We then went to the Royals-A's game at Kauffman Stadium, which was pretty nice and unique for an older stadium. The A's hit 6 homers and won 17-3. We somehow managed to grasp the life of a Royals fan by attending 1 game. God, what a miserable franchise. We went to visit the University of Kansas campus, to get credit for Kansas, but Kraut made us stop at the Garmin headquarters on the way because he thought this was funny for some reason. He owns one of their GPS units and is an investor in the company and somehow in his mind it would be funny to use the Garmin to visit Garmin or something like that. Kraut is a big idiot.
We flew back Friday morning, but this wasn't without adventure either. Our flight got delayed and they switched us to a flight in another terminal that was leaving shortly. When we got there, we were informed that Eric and I could go on this flight but Kraut couldn't because, you got it, there was no time to check a bag. Neis niglah right in front of our eyes.
Well, that was our trip. I hope you all enjoyed reading about it as much as we enjoyed going on it. There should be pictures on facebook with what I can only assume will be hilarious captions.
Hopefully, more later tonight or tomorrow, as we return to the Mets.
Season tally: 6 stadiums (Shea, Citizens Bank, RFK, Turner, Busch, Kauffman)
So as an intro to the trip, it's important to know that in the week before, Eric and I decided that there was no need to check a bag. Kraut insisted he needed to. Well, we land in Atlanta and surprise, surprise, Kraut's bad didn't make it with our plane, so we had to wait an hour for the next flight, which had his bag. Dumbass. Turner Field has the most amazing scoreboard I have ever seen. It's huge, it's HD, it's awesome. Even though I was rooting against the Braves, I bought a foam tomahawk so that I could participate in the incessant tomahawk chops. This was part of a larger plan, whereby I bought one souvenir item in each state we visited. I also made sure to drink a beer and take a dump in every state that was fortunate enough to host us. One interesting thing I noticed about the fans in the stadium is that there were many people wearing Chipper Jones jerseys and quite a few wearing Jeff Franceour shirts but virtually nobody wearing anything Andruw Jones related, despite the fact that he is indisputably their best player and has been for quite a few years now. Perhaps it's because Chipper and Jeff belong to one race and Andruw belongs to another. Just throwing it out there. Otherwise, Atlanta was pretty unremarkable. We visited Centennial Park, which was built for the '96 Olympics, and MLK's house and grave, which was pretty cool, and CNN headquarters, where we were repeatedly lied to.
Our next stop was Talladega, home to the famous Talladega Speedway. Unfortunately, the Speedway itself was closed, so we were only able to take pictures from the outside. Overall, this stop on the trip was dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
We proceeded to Birmingham, which didn't have much going on other than a park with a giant statue called "Vulcan" that you can climb to the top of and see the entire city from, which was pretty cool, except that you have to stand on a metal grate that you can see through the bottom of, so you think you're gonna die. We didn't though, which enabled us to continue to the next leg of our trip: Tupelo, Mississippi.
Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis as well as the birthplace of "A lesson in Hashgacha Pratis," a hit video coming soon to a theater near you. Be on the lookout for it in the coming days. It is also home to a Civil War battlefield that is roughly the size of Danciger Quadrangle. Overall, Tupelo sucks. In the words of the woman in out hotel who gave us directions, "As you're driving through downtown, don't blink or you might miss it."
We arrived in Memphis that afternoon and went for a tour of Sun Studios, where many artists, including Elvis and Johnny Cash, recorded their 1st albums. The cool thing about this place was that it has been kept totally intact from those times, so you can actually stand exactly where Elvis stood and hold the microphone he used. While Kraut did some legitimate business work at a local Kinkos, Eric and I travelled across the Tennessee-Arkansas border to be yotzei another state. We visited a small town called Earle, Arkansas, which looks exactly how you would imagine every small town in America (not NY or LA- the shit in the middle) to look. We then returned to Memphis and visited Graceland, which was cool and creepy at the same time. I don't think I will ever get the Elvis thing. There is no doubt in my mind that Graceland is real avodah zara because the level of Elvis worship and glorification that exists there is absurd. We concluded our stay in Memphis by spending the night on Beale Street, which i absolutely loved. It runs like 4 blocks long and is closed off from traffic, Ben Yehuda style. The entire block is filled with bars, shops, and cafes, 8 or 9 of which had live bands playing on the Tuesday night we were there. Additionally, the FedEx Forum, where the Grizzlies play is on street level right off Beale, which probably makes it an awesome place to hang out here before or after a game.
We arrived in St. Louis that night in the pouring rain at an Econo Lodge that seemed like it was taken directly out of "Psycho." It was run down, the door to our room didn't close, and we got mysterious phone calls. In short, I am shocked we weren't murdered. This place didn't compare to any of the Comfort Inns (sorry Eric, Comforts Inn) that we stayed in, which were all very, very comfortable (cotton balls included.) St. Louis is a pretty uninteresting city. It has the Gateway Arch and it has a baseball stadium. That's pretty much it. You can see the Arch from the baseball stadium and you can see the baseball stadium from the Arch, so you can pretty much visit one and you're good to go. Busch Stadium is probably the nicest stadium I have attended a game in thus far. It's similar to Citizens Bank, just not as rigid and geometric and with a much better skyline view. It was also cool to be in a stadium that is sold out on a Thursday day game, but I guess that comes along with a new stadium and being the defending champs.
Our last stop was Kansas City, where we started by visiting the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. It was actually quite interesting and surprisingly fair and balanced in their coverage of his presidency (for example, there was an entire exhibit devoted to historians to criticize his use of the bomb in Japan at the end of WWII.) We then went to the Royals-A's game at Kauffman Stadium, which was pretty nice and unique for an older stadium. The A's hit 6 homers and won 17-3. We somehow managed to grasp the life of a Royals fan by attending 1 game. God, what a miserable franchise. We went to visit the University of Kansas campus, to get credit for Kansas, but Kraut made us stop at the Garmin headquarters on the way because he thought this was funny for some reason. He owns one of their GPS units and is an investor in the company and somehow in his mind it would be funny to use the Garmin to visit Garmin or something like that. Kraut is a big idiot.
We flew back Friday morning, but this wasn't without adventure either. Our flight got delayed and they switched us to a flight in another terminal that was leaving shortly. When we got there, we were informed that Eric and I could go on this flight but Kraut couldn't because, you got it, there was no time to check a bag. Neis niglah right in front of our eyes.
Well, that was our trip. I hope you all enjoyed reading about it as much as we enjoyed going on it. There should be pictures on facebook with what I can only assume will be hilarious captions.
Hopefully, more later tonight or tomorrow, as we return to the Mets.
Season tally: 6 stadiums (Shea, Citizens Bank, RFK, Turner, Busch, Kauffman)
Friday, May 4, 2007
Easley Does It
I know my last post implied that you wouldn't be hearing from me again until I was on the road, but I simply had to write about last night's game. What can you say about Damien Easley. The guy has singlehandedly won 2 games for us and played a key role in winning a 3rd game that was very close to going the other way. Up until this point, it seemed like even though the Mets had been playing well, they lacked that intangible, magic quality that past teams, last year in specific, had displayed. One of the great thing about baseball, that raises it above all other sports, is that you can't run out the clock. You have to get that last out, and until you do, you haven't won. And the great teams emphasize that point to the opposition even more so. Until you get that 27th out, you haven't beaten us yet and we're gonna keep fighting until you do. And last night, the Mets looked like that team again.
I'm told that 100 miles from where I was, Feder predicted the Valverde blown save. Where I was, I predicted that David Wright would get a big hit in the 9th now that the Mets had already retaken the lead. And he did. It's good to see him swinging the bat better even if it's not in a meaningful spot. Baby steps.
I don't know what it is about that ballpark, but every time the Mets play there, they absolutely crush the DBacks. They have now won 11 in a row there, winning those games by a combined score of roughly 85-20. The Mets should look into petitioning the league for more games in Arizona. Screw divisional play; we haven't won a World Series in 20 years.
I'm told that 100 miles from where I was, Feder predicted the Valverde blown save. Where I was, I predicted that David Wright would get a big hit in the 9th now that the Mets had already retaken the lead. And he did. It's good to see him swinging the bat better even if it's not in a meaningful spot. Baby steps.
I don't know what it is about that ballpark, but every time the Mets play there, they absolutely crush the DBacks. They have now won 11 in a row there, winning those games by a combined score of roughly 85-20. The Mets should look into petitioning the league for more games in Arizona. Screw divisional play; we haven't won a World Series in 20 years.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Wednesday Matinee
Yesterday, I got to witness the whiteboard phenomenon in person for the 1st time, and I liked what I saw. We scored 2 field level seats behind the plate and then 2 other random tickets. After we had gotten the fields, some guy walks by us and declares "This little experiment of yours isn't gonna work," so Amir flashes him the 2 tickets and asks, "Oh ya, where are you sitting today?" Ticketed!!
As for the game, Oliver Perez was masterful. I really think he has turned the corner and will be solid and consistent from here on out. Wait, this sounds familiar. It's a trap. Seriously though, other than that one start against the Phillies, he has been very good this year. If he continues, we might look back one day of Omar's trades of Kris Benson and Xavier Nady, in which we got Oliver Perez and John Maine as "throw ins" as among the best trades in recent team history.
On that note, congrats to Jose Reyes and John Maine for winning April player and pitcher of the month, respectively. May they continue their outstanding play and be rewarded with similar awards at the end of the season.
David Wright has started looking better at the plate. This is a good thing. However, he has continued to look awful in the field. This is a bad thing. I should do color commentary for Fox.
The Mets now go on the road, where they have fared excellently this year. I too will be going on the road. I will be flying to Atlanta on Sunday morning and driving across part of the country wth Kraut and Eric, attending games in Atlanta, St Louis, and Kansas City. I look forward to sharing my experiences in these foreign stadiums with you.
As for the game, Oliver Perez was masterful. I really think he has turned the corner and will be solid and consistent from here on out. Wait, this sounds familiar. It's a trap. Seriously though, other than that one start against the Phillies, he has been very good this year. If he continues, we might look back one day of Omar's trades of Kris Benson and Xavier Nady, in which we got Oliver Perez and John Maine as "throw ins" as among the best trades in recent team history.
On that note, congrats to Jose Reyes and John Maine for winning April player and pitcher of the month, respectively. May they continue their outstanding play and be rewarded with similar awards at the end of the season.
David Wright has started looking better at the plate. This is a good thing. However, he has continued to look awful in the field. This is a bad thing. I should do color commentary for Fox.
The Mets now go on the road, where they have fared excellently this year. I too will be going on the road. I will be flying to Atlanta on Sunday morning and driving across part of the country wth Kraut and Eric, attending games in Atlanta, St Louis, and Kansas City. I look forward to sharing my experiences in these foreign stadiums with you.
Monday, April 30, 2007
InterNATIONAL Dance Day
Yesterday, we went down to DC to see the Mets play the Nationals, in what was the culmination of our weekend-long celebration of International Dance Day, party hats and maracas in full force. RFK might be the dumpiest ballpark I have ever attended a sporting event in, especially from the outside. I suspect that the fine gentleman I met at the Mets-Phillies game a couple weeks ago would be even less likely to take a crap in this parking lot than he would be at Shea.
The Mets were lucky to get out of RFK this weekend with 2 wins. They easily could have gotten swept by an awful team, but luckily for the time being the Yankees seem to have cornered the market on that practice. Saturday night was one of those games that remind you why you love baseball, as more than any other game, it's a game of inches: Easley getting called safe at first, Chavez sliding under the tag at the plate. Any of these things end up an inch off, and the Mets lose. Yesterday was all about John Maine. This guy looks like the real deal so far. He doesn't overpower you or have incredible stuff, but it seems like he just knows how to pitch and he consistently gets the job done.
The news today is that the Mets age seems to have already caught up to them, as both El Duque and Valentin are headed for the DL. In terms of El Duque, we expected this. There was no way he was pitching a full season. So, the Chan Ho Park era begins. I suspect this will be imminently (used correctly and precisely here) followed by the Jorge Sosa era, and then possibly the Phil Humber era. Here's hoping that El Duque is back before we are forced to get to the Av Sinensky era.
As for Valentin: first of all, it's worth pointing out that an actual person would never hurt his ACL. Now that we have that out of the way, while we still don't have the full diagnosis and projections for his injuries, ACLs are always scary, expecially considering his age and past knee problems. If he's going to be out awhile, I hope Omar isn't seriously viewing any of the in-house options as the long-term replacement. Damion Easley, Anderson Hernandez, and Ruben Gotay are simply not everyday players (in the case of Hernandez and Gotay, possibly not even anyday players.) My vote: Mark Grudzialanek of the Kansas City Royals. I wanted them to sign him last year and I think he would fit perfectly if Valentin can't come back. He's a solid veteran with a good reputation, plays great defense, and will be a solid .280 hitter and a smart player. And I can even save Omar some time because I will be in Kansas City next week, so I can do some scouting and maybe initiate trade talks with the front office. I would have to think he would be gettable without giving up too much. Next best option: my dad. If you can't replace the ball player, at least replace the mustache.
The Mets were lucky to get out of RFK this weekend with 2 wins. They easily could have gotten swept by an awful team, but luckily for the time being the Yankees seem to have cornered the market on that practice. Saturday night was one of those games that remind you why you love baseball, as more than any other game, it's a game of inches: Easley getting called safe at first, Chavez sliding under the tag at the plate. Any of these things end up an inch off, and the Mets lose. Yesterday was all about John Maine. This guy looks like the real deal so far. He doesn't overpower you or have incredible stuff, but it seems like he just knows how to pitch and he consistently gets the job done.
The news today is that the Mets age seems to have already caught up to them, as both El Duque and Valentin are headed for the DL. In terms of El Duque, we expected this. There was no way he was pitching a full season. So, the Chan Ho Park era begins. I suspect this will be imminently (used correctly and precisely here) followed by the Jorge Sosa era, and then possibly the Phil Humber era. Here's hoping that El Duque is back before we are forced to get to the Av Sinensky era.
As for Valentin: first of all, it's worth pointing out that an actual person would never hurt his ACL. Now that we have that out of the way, while we still don't have the full diagnosis and projections for his injuries, ACLs are always scary, expecially considering his age and past knee problems. If he's going to be out awhile, I hope Omar isn't seriously viewing any of the in-house options as the long-term replacement. Damion Easley, Anderson Hernandez, and Ruben Gotay are simply not everyday players (in the case of Hernandez and Gotay, possibly not even anyday players.) My vote: Mark Grudzialanek of the Kansas City Royals. I wanted them to sign him last year and I think he would fit perfectly if Valentin can't come back. He's a solid veteran with a good reputation, plays great defense, and will be a solid .280 hitter and a smart player. And I can even save Omar some time because I will be in Kansas City next week, so I can do some scouting and maybe initiate trade talks with the front office. I would have to think he would be gettable without giving up too much. Next best option: my dad. If you can't replace the ball player, at least replace the mustache.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This
Can't win 'em all I guess, even against crappy teams. Mike Pelfrey just didn't have it today and the Mets got crushed. It's a little disheartening to see the offense unable yet to bail the starters out when they deliver poor performances. We know this team is capable of putting up 10 runs in a game routinely, but they always seem to do it when they get a good start and thus win 10-2. They need to show that they are capable of winning games 10-8 in addition to 3-2.
Not really much else to report on this game other than to call attention to an ongoing debate I have with Eric all the time about when it's appropriate to leave a baseball game. Etan called me to today to ask this very question when the Mets went down 9-0 and I gave him permission to leave. Eric maintains that the only time it is ever acceptable to leave a game is when the game is over. Eric, however, is overly principled to a fault and lacks the reasonablemindedness to see when his principles are impractical. We go to enough games that leaving early doesn't mark us as bad fans. It simply means that staying for the rest of the game will be a miserable experience and we can find less depressing ways to spend our time than sit there and watch a team that just doesn't have it today.
One last point. After the game, Danielle asked me: "So now you're all gonna be in bad moods? Is this how it works?" Ya, pretty much. Such is the life of a baseball fan, or at least this group of baseball fans. Our happiness on a daily basis is inexorably linked to whether or not the Mets won their previous game, leading to a constant oscillation between euphoria and depression. Baseball season is basically a 6 month long ecstasy trip. Better get used to it China.
Oh and Yankee fans, watch out, is that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in your rearviermirror? Well, don't look now because I think they just passed you.
Not really much else to report on this game other than to call attention to an ongoing debate I have with Eric all the time about when it's appropriate to leave a baseball game. Etan called me to today to ask this very question when the Mets went down 9-0 and I gave him permission to leave. Eric maintains that the only time it is ever acceptable to leave a game is when the game is over. Eric, however, is overly principled to a fault and lacks the reasonablemindedness to see when his principles are impractical. We go to enough games that leaving early doesn't mark us as bad fans. It simply means that staying for the rest of the game will be a miserable experience and we can find less depressing ways to spend our time than sit there and watch a team that just doesn't have it today.
One last point. After the game, Danielle asked me: "So now you're all gonna be in bad moods? Is this how it works?" Ya, pretty much. Such is the life of a baseball fan, or at least this group of baseball fans. Our happiness on a daily basis is inexorably linked to whether or not the Mets won their previous game, leading to a constant oscillation between euphoria and depression. Baseball season is basically a 6 month long ecstasy trip. Better get used to it China.
Oh and Yankee fans, watch out, is that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in your rearviermirror? Well, don't look now because I think they just passed you.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Free Baseball
The other day, Eric commented to me that he didn't think this team looked like they had that comeback ability in them that made them so dangerous in the late innings last year. Well, how do you like them apples, Eric? I bet you're feeling pretty foolish now. You really have egg on your face this time, don't you. On a night when the Mets couldn't get anything going offensively, when it looked like they were gonna waste a masterful performance by El Duque (for the record, Feder says that when he tries to throw those curveballs that Duque was throwing tonight on his playstation game, everyone hits HR's,) it wasn't David Wright or Moises Alou, the Carloses or the Joses, it wasn't even Shawn Green or Paul Lo Duca (although, God I LOVE HIM) that came to the rescue. It was Damion Easley, who with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th and down to his last strike, sent one over the left center field fence to put the Mets on the board for the 1st time and give us even more free baseball.
Great teams find ways to win. When all goes to hell, they find a way to squeak by on a pinch hit HR and a game winning bunt single. Incredible job by Chavez recognizing that the right side was playing back and dragging that bunt up the line for the win. This came after Speier (JZ?) delivered the most obvious balk in the history of baseball. In fact, this might have been the first time I ever knew it was a balk before the ump called it. Willie has to find more ways to get Chavez involved. He is our Antwan Randle El. The goal has to be to get the ball in his hands (at the plate, in the field, on the basepaths) and just let him make plays. He's not talented enough to be an every down or day player, but he has that big play ability that makes a difference in games and Willie has to be more creative in finding ways to use him.
Shawn Green gets a gameball for hustling and stretching a basehit up the middle into a double. I went on the record, saying Lastings Milledge would be the everyday rightfielder by May 15, but the way Green has been playing, Milledge should start boarding up his windows because he might be down in New Orleans for a while. Amazing Kiddush Hashem by Green. Terrible Chillul Hashem by me.
I'm told tonight was another amazing night of whiteboarding, which I am happy to hear, but more so, I am pissed off at Penn Law for forcing me to take finals this week and causing me to miss the excitement at Shea.
Great teams find ways to win. When all goes to hell, they find a way to squeak by on a pinch hit HR and a game winning bunt single. Incredible job by Chavez recognizing that the right side was playing back and dragging that bunt up the line for the win. This came after Speier (JZ?) delivered the most obvious balk in the history of baseball. In fact, this might have been the first time I ever knew it was a balk before the ump called it. Willie has to find more ways to get Chavez involved. He is our Antwan Randle El. The goal has to be to get the ball in his hands (at the plate, in the field, on the basepaths) and just let him make plays. He's not talented enough to be an every down or day player, but he has that big play ability that makes a difference in games and Willie has to be more creative in finding ways to use him.
Shawn Green gets a gameball for hustling and stretching a basehit up the middle into a double. I went on the record, saying Lastings Milledge would be the everyday rightfielder by May 15, but the way Green has been playing, Milledge should start boarding up his windows because he might be down in New Orleans for a while. Amazing Kiddush Hashem by Green. Terrible Chillul Hashem by me.
I'm told tonight was another amazing night of whiteboarding, which I am happy to hear, but more so, I am pissed off at Penn Law for forcing me to take finals this week and causing me to miss the excitement at Shea.
Mets Baseball At Cavs
Last night, I decided to mix things up a bit and took a very well deserved break from studying to go to Cavanugh's to watch the Mets game with Feder. For those of you who are not familiar with Cavanaugh's, it is a very high class, sports bar a couple blocks from Penn Hillel that is typically packed to the brim with well dressed, friendly, totally unscary individuals. For those of you who are not familiar with sarcasm, it is the rhetorical device I used in the previous sentence. For further examples of sarcasm, visit its wikipedia entry.
So we watched many baseball games while drinking beer, paying close attention to the Mets and then the Phillies. The Phillies were taking their turn at the honoring Jackie Robinson thing, so all players and coaches on both the Astros and Phillies were wearing nameless #42 jerseys. They were all Cheadle. This made figuring out who was up, pitching, etc nearly impossible unless I happened to recognize their face. Although, it did make me laugh a lot whenever there was somebody on base and the camera shot was of the 1st baseman, runner, and 1st base coach all in the same picture, all wearing #42. I'm not sure how exactly this honors Jackie Robinson, but I guess I just don''t understand. First, we said nobody is allowed to wear his jersey. Now we're saying everyone should wear his jersey. Makes no sense to me.
As for the Mets, they won easily against a terrible team. Their next 5 games are also against terrible teams, and there is no reason why they shouldn't come out of this 6 game stretch with 5 wins. Mainly because if they don't Eric will declare the following 48 games to be triple code red must wins and go on suicide watch. And that won't be pleasant for anyone.
Finally, last night, the rest of the Mets Baseball clan were representing at Shea, as they whiteboarded their way in, but the whiteboarding didn't end there. They somehow got a party patrolwoman's attention and got Harold into the trivia contest between innings. They then used the whiteboard to start a "HA-ROLD" chant in their section, adjoining sections, and eventually scattered parts of the stadium via the big screen. When Harold failed to answer the question correctly, the chants turned into heckles, as the entire section chanted "HAAAAAAAA-ROLD," asshole-chant style. Per Shea Stadium policies, I can only assume that Harold was awarded the same parting gift he would have received had he answered the question correctly.
So we watched many baseball games while drinking beer, paying close attention to the Mets and then the Phillies. The Phillies were taking their turn at the honoring Jackie Robinson thing, so all players and coaches on both the Astros and Phillies were wearing nameless #42 jerseys. They were all Cheadle. This made figuring out who was up, pitching, etc nearly impossible unless I happened to recognize their face. Although, it did make me laugh a lot whenever there was somebody on base and the camera shot was of the 1st baseman, runner, and 1st base coach all in the same picture, all wearing #42. I'm not sure how exactly this honors Jackie Robinson, but I guess I just don''t understand. First, we said nobody is allowed to wear his jersey. Now we're saying everyone should wear his jersey. Makes no sense to me.
As for the Mets, they won easily against a terrible team. Their next 5 games are also against terrible teams, and there is no reason why they shouldn't come out of this 6 game stretch with 5 wins. Mainly because if they don't Eric will declare the following 48 games to be triple code red must wins and go on suicide watch. And that won't be pleasant for anyone.
Finally, last night, the rest of the Mets Baseball clan were representing at Shea, as they whiteboarded their way in, but the whiteboarding didn't end there. They somehow got a party patrolwoman's attention and got Harold into the trivia contest between innings. They then used the whiteboard to start a "HA-ROLD" chant in their section, adjoining sections, and eventually scattered parts of the stadium via the big screen. When Harold failed to answer the question correctly, the chants turned into heckles, as the entire section chanted "HAAAAAAAA-ROLD," asshole-chant style. Per Shea Stadium policies, I can only assume that Harold was awarded the same parting gift he would have received had he answered the question correctly.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Spring Is Here
We seem to have finally turned the corner weather wise, which made going to the game yesterday afternoon something I looked forward to all weekend. Beautiful weather, field box seats, and the rubber game of Mets-Braves (extra points to any Bednarsh nephews that could tell me what a rubber game is.) Also, before the game I got a call from my cousin, who subsequently informed me that her 7 year old son is a Mets' fan (she doesn't know how or why, but he says that he is) and that I must take him to a game, which I was absolutely delighted to here, as the next generation of Mets' fans in my family are now in place.
Turns out though, the weather was pretty much the only good thing going on yesterday. Yesterday's game is the type of game my mom loves because she cares more about the back and forth drama of a baseball game than its outcome. As we have already discussed, however, my mom doesn't understand baseball. Or many other things, but that's a topic for a different day.
The Mets have always struggled against John Smoltz. I have no statistical evidence to back this up, it's just a sentiment I have from watching him pitch against us for close to 15 years now. We have had some good moments agaisnt him (Piazza game-tying HR in NLCS game 6, Beltran HR in April 2 years ago when the Mets opened the season 0-5) but overall, he scares me. Yesterday was no different. Through the 1st 4 innings, he looked unhittable, with all his pitches working. The Mets were down 3-1 and Glavine was out of the game, headed for the loss. But when the Mets exploded for 5 runs off Smoltz in the 6th, highlighted by a bases clearing Reyes triple (check out his projected stats on his Espn.com profile right now), this game didn't seem losable. Last year's team would not have lost this game. Ever. (As a side point, on the triple, Valentin missed the plate on the slide, was sent back to touch it by Alou, and only then did the ump call him safe. As all of this was happening, I was jumping up and down in my seat, yelling "He missed the plate. Go back." I'd like to think Alou heard me and alerted Valentin.)
Without getting too much analysis of Willie's use of the bullpen, he seemed totally clueless in the 7th yesterday. If you're gonna use Burgos there, let him pitch. Why are you pulling him after he gets the 1st 2 guys out and then allows one guy on due to a bad defensive play by Green? And if you're gonna go righty-lefty there, then really go righty-lefty. How is Schoenweiss still in the game to pitch to Renteria?
The last point I want to make is that David Wright looks totally lost. He's playing terrible defense and can't do anything at the plate. He's already struck out 18 times in 17 games and he seems to be going down looking more than I can ever remember. I'm not sure what the answer is, but maybe Willie should sit him down for a day or two to let him get a break and maybe clear his head. We need the David Wright we've come to expect to show up if we're gonna be able to get where we want to be this season.
So I dropped to 1-2 on the year (0-2 at Shea), but there was a silver lining. I got a 2007 Mets calendar, which is now hanging above my desk. Uri did not. So Uri, you've been calendared.
Turns out though, the weather was pretty much the only good thing going on yesterday. Yesterday's game is the type of game my mom loves because she cares more about the back and forth drama of a baseball game than its outcome. As we have already discussed, however, my mom doesn't understand baseball. Or many other things, but that's a topic for a different day.
The Mets have always struggled against John Smoltz. I have no statistical evidence to back this up, it's just a sentiment I have from watching him pitch against us for close to 15 years now. We have had some good moments agaisnt him (Piazza game-tying HR in NLCS game 6, Beltran HR in April 2 years ago when the Mets opened the season 0-5) but overall, he scares me. Yesterday was no different. Through the 1st 4 innings, he looked unhittable, with all his pitches working. The Mets were down 3-1 and Glavine was out of the game, headed for the loss. But when the Mets exploded for 5 runs off Smoltz in the 6th, highlighted by a bases clearing Reyes triple (check out his projected stats on his Espn.com profile right now), this game didn't seem losable. Last year's team would not have lost this game. Ever. (As a side point, on the triple, Valentin missed the plate on the slide, was sent back to touch it by Alou, and only then did the ump call him safe. As all of this was happening, I was jumping up and down in my seat, yelling "He missed the plate. Go back." I'd like to think Alou heard me and alerted Valentin.)
Without getting too much analysis of Willie's use of the bullpen, he seemed totally clueless in the 7th yesterday. If you're gonna use Burgos there, let him pitch. Why are you pulling him after he gets the 1st 2 guys out and then allows one guy on due to a bad defensive play by Green? And if you're gonna go righty-lefty there, then really go righty-lefty. How is Schoenweiss still in the game to pitch to Renteria?
The last point I want to make is that David Wright looks totally lost. He's playing terrible defense and can't do anything at the plate. He's already struck out 18 times in 17 games and he seems to be going down looking more than I can ever remember. I'm not sure what the answer is, but maybe Willie should sit him down for a day or two to let him get a break and maybe clear his head. We need the David Wright we've come to expect to show up if we're gonna be able to get where we want to be this season.
So I dropped to 1-2 on the year (0-2 at Shea), but there was a silver lining. I got a 2007 Mets calendar, which is now hanging above my desk. Uri did not. So Uri, you've been calendared.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Wastin Away On The Streets Of Philadelphia
I always get enjoyment in situations where there is a very prevalent stereotype of certain groups of people and then those people continually exhibit behavior that further perpetuates that stereotype. For example, the way I always hear stories about Stern girls decorating their friends' doors when they get engaged, taking classes about marriage, and breaking the floor in Belfer during a chagigah. Well, in the case of Philadelphia sports fans, I can honestly say that their reputation as absolutely awful human beings gets reinforced for me every time I attend a sporting event in this town.
I went to the game with Eric tonight and we sat a few rows behind the left-center field fence, which gave us a very different and unique perspective on a baseball game. We had a great view of both of Alou's home runs and saw Aaron Rowand dive towards the wall for a fly ball about 8 feet away from us. It was definitely a good change of pace. But back to Philly fans and why they suck...
It seems like there is a significant number of people in this city that would describe this as a fun night out: get totally hammered, go to the game, and harass people for no reason. For most of the early parts of the game, we sat quietly and kept to ourselves, clapping at times when something good had happened. For some reason though, some of the fans in our vicinity declared that we were homosexuals. They then demanded that we orally pleasure them. One might suggest that this unusual request indicates that they are, in fact, the homosexuals, but I don't want to make allegations. They also seemed to think that the fact that I was wearing a Reyes jersey was very comical and unusual and began addressing me as if I was actually Jose Reyes (and as if I was the 1st person ever to wear a player's jersey to a sporting event.) At one point they were yelling something at me during a pitch while Reyes was in the process of stealing 2nd. I waited until the play concluded with Reyes standing safely on 2nd and then turned around and asked them to repeat their question, as I was unable to hear it the 1st time, since I was too busy stealing 2nd.
Towards the end of the game, the elderly gentleman in front of us started hurling profanities at us and seemed to be extraordinarily proud of the fact that the seats he was sitting in were his own season tickets, taunting us about the fact that surely we could never acquire such high-caliber seats at Shea or any other ballpark. The face value on the seats was $22. He proceeded to mock Shea, saying "that place is such a dump, I wouldn't even take a shit in the parking lot." I asked him what would inspire him to ever take a shit in any parking lot, explaining that such behavior was disgusting and probably illegal.
Finally, the activity that bothers me most of all, and it is something I have witnessed not only at Phillies' games but also at a Dave Matthews concert here last December, is the constant barrage of E-A-G-L-E-S chants that spurt out at every non-Eagles game event that occurs in this city. It absolutely drives me crazy and I am happy that my days of living in this city, EAGLES chants and all, are soon coming to an end.
On another note, RANGERS HOCKEY, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I will be attending the game tomorrow night as we get our brooms out and try to sweep the Thrashers the way the Mets swept the Phillies in their series tonight.
I went to the game with Eric tonight and we sat a few rows behind the left-center field fence, which gave us a very different and unique perspective on a baseball game. We had a great view of both of Alou's home runs and saw Aaron Rowand dive towards the wall for a fly ball about 8 feet away from us. It was definitely a good change of pace. But back to Philly fans and why they suck...
It seems like there is a significant number of people in this city that would describe this as a fun night out: get totally hammered, go to the game, and harass people for no reason. For most of the early parts of the game, we sat quietly and kept to ourselves, clapping at times when something good had happened. For some reason though, some of the fans in our vicinity declared that we were homosexuals. They then demanded that we orally pleasure them. One might suggest that this unusual request indicates that they are, in fact, the homosexuals, but I don't want to make allegations. They also seemed to think that the fact that I was wearing a Reyes jersey was very comical and unusual and began addressing me as if I was actually Jose Reyes (and as if I was the 1st person ever to wear a player's jersey to a sporting event.) At one point they were yelling something at me during a pitch while Reyes was in the process of stealing 2nd. I waited until the play concluded with Reyes standing safely on 2nd and then turned around and asked them to repeat their question, as I was unable to hear it the 1st time, since I was too busy stealing 2nd.
Towards the end of the game, the elderly gentleman in front of us started hurling profanities at us and seemed to be extraordinarily proud of the fact that the seats he was sitting in were his own season tickets, taunting us about the fact that surely we could never acquire such high-caliber seats at Shea or any other ballpark. The face value on the seats was $22. He proceeded to mock Shea, saying "that place is such a dump, I wouldn't even take a shit in the parking lot." I asked him what would inspire him to ever take a shit in any parking lot, explaining that such behavior was disgusting and probably illegal.
Finally, the activity that bothers me most of all, and it is something I have witnessed not only at Phillies' games but also at a Dave Matthews concert here last December, is the constant barrage of E-A-G-L-E-S chants that spurt out at every non-Eagles game event that occurs in this city. It absolutely drives me crazy and I am happy that my days of living in this city, EAGLES chants and all, are soon coming to an end.
On another note, RANGERS HOCKEY, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I will be attending the game tomorrow night as we get our brooms out and try to sweep the Thrashers the way the Mets swept the Phillies in their series tonight.
Monday, April 16, 2007
If The Rain Comes, They Run And Hide Their Heads
There has been no Mets Baseball (yeahhhhhh) the last 2 days because it has rained. That makes me sad. I do not enjoy watching the puddles gather rain. And I would never complain that there's no rain. Rain is only good in Israel. Or as a Mortal Kombat character.
So what have I been up to since there hasn't been any Mets Baseball to follow? Mainly, 2 things: I have watched "The Devil's Advocate" and I have watched hockey. Amazingly, one of these 2 things was academic in nature. I surveyed a couple other Mets' fans to see how they were spending their days off. Harold spent Sunday taking a series of naps, while Eric "went shopping and then did nothing." It seems we all have very exciting lives when the Mets miss a couple days. Hard to believe any of us survive the winter.
I didn't see either of the games this weekend because I am shomer Torah U'Mitzvos. (Or at least I was this past Shabbos [at least with respect to watching the Mets game]) Therefore, I don't have much to say about them. I was a little disappointed that they only came away with 1 win out of the Nationals series, as I expected at least 4 or 5, but what can you do. Pelfrey wasn't remarkable in his season debut, but it was good to see him pitch decently and get his feet wet. I think he is a very key part of the rotation this year, and has the young, strong arm that could potentially give the bullpen a needed break after getting a lot of action in Glavine/Duque starts.
Going to the game tomorrow night here...hopefully. That should be a pleasant experience. Sporting events in Philadelphia always are.
So what have I been up to since there hasn't been any Mets Baseball to follow? Mainly, 2 things: I have watched "The Devil's Advocate" and I have watched hockey. Amazingly, one of these 2 things was academic in nature. I surveyed a couple other Mets' fans to see how they were spending their days off. Harold spent Sunday taking a series of naps, while Eric "went shopping and then did nothing." It seems we all have very exciting lives when the Mets miss a couple days. Hard to believe any of us survive the winter.
I didn't see either of the games this weekend because I am shomer Torah U'Mitzvos. (Or at least I was this past Shabbos [at least with respect to watching the Mets game]) Therefore, I don't have much to say about them. I was a little disappointed that they only came away with 1 win out of the Nationals series, as I expected at least 4 or 5, but what can you do. Pelfrey wasn't remarkable in his season debut, but it was good to see him pitch decently and get his feet wet. I think he is a very key part of the rotation this year, and has the young, strong arm that could potentially give the bullpen a needed break after getting a lot of action in Glavine/Duque starts.
Going to the game tomorrow night here...hopefully. That should be a pleasant experience. Sporting events in Philadelphia always are.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Home Sweet Home
I went home last night. And although it was cold, windy, overall unpleasant and the Mets got beat in a slow, boring game, it was good to be home. As we drove down the ramp towards Shea, with Pearl Jam's cover of "The Boys Are Back In Town" blasting, it felt like I had never left. I wish there was more about the game and the experience to report, but it was too cold to really pay attention to anything and nothing particularly interesting happened, except that a cat ran onto the field at some point. The last time this happened, the Mets won the World Series, so that bodes well for our chances this year, I guess.
Oliver Perez is, well, what I expected. He was great in his 1st start, dreadful last night. The most frustrating thing about a guy like him is that he is so clearly talented with exceptional stuff, so that every time he goes out there and pitches lights out, we will think that he has turned the corner and will be good from that point on. But I have a feeling that this two-game pattern will be a decent sample of what we can expect from Perez this season.
Good job by Mets fans deciding to pick on Jimmy Rollins whenever he does anything that can possibly be construed as screwing up. Yesterday, there were jeers for him after he failed to make a play on a groundball that hit the pitcher and got redirected. Let's hope this treatment continues for the rest of the year going forward.
As a side note, last night a Mets fan and Yankees fan got arrested because they got into a fight, which led to a loud "Yankees Suck" chant. Now, Eric has always hated these chants at Mets games as he feels that the focus should be on the Mets, not the Yankees, and I guess in a way it validates them when we do that. And some might point out that Yankee fans will never do a "Mets Suck" chant at a game, explaining that Mets fans have an inferiority complex when it comes to the Yankees, and they don't care about the Mets. I would point out that many of the chants at Mets' games are in response to instigation from an obnoxious Yankee fan, not out of the blue, and that in all the non-Mets/Yankees games I have been to at Yankee Stadium, I have never seen Mets fans behave the way Yankee fans do at Mets games, instigating and picking fights. So I think this might be a better explanation for the disparity in chants and makes me more comfortable about the chant in general. Because when we chant "Yankees Suck" what we are really saying is "That guy and is an asshole, and so is anyone like him."
Oliver Perez is, well, what I expected. He was great in his 1st start, dreadful last night. The most frustrating thing about a guy like him is that he is so clearly talented with exceptional stuff, so that every time he goes out there and pitches lights out, we will think that he has turned the corner and will be good from that point on. But I have a feeling that this two-game pattern will be a decent sample of what we can expect from Perez this season.
Good job by Mets fans deciding to pick on Jimmy Rollins whenever he does anything that can possibly be construed as screwing up. Yesterday, there were jeers for him after he failed to make a play on a groundball that hit the pitcher and got redirected. Let's hope this treatment continues for the rest of the year going forward.
As a side note, last night a Mets fan and Yankees fan got arrested because they got into a fight, which led to a loud "Yankees Suck" chant. Now, Eric has always hated these chants at Mets games as he feels that the focus should be on the Mets, not the Yankees, and I guess in a way it validates them when we do that. And some might point out that Yankee fans will never do a "Mets Suck" chant at a game, explaining that Mets fans have an inferiority complex when it comes to the Yankees, and they don't care about the Mets. I would point out that many of the chants at Mets' games are in response to instigation from an obnoxious Yankee fan, not out of the blue, and that in all the non-Mets/Yankees games I have been to at Yankee Stadium, I have never seen Mets fans behave the way Yankee fans do at Mets games, instigating and picking fights. So I think this might be a better explanation for the disparity in chants and makes me more comfortable about the chant in general. Because when we chant "Yankees Suck" what we are really saying is "That guy and is an asshole, and so is anyone like him."
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Back To Earth
So, the Mets aren't gonna go 162-0 this year. They're not even gonna go 161-1. But we knew that already. Turner Field has always been a humbling place for us, and this weekend was no different.
Positives to take out of the weekend:
1. great efforts out of Perez and El Duque and a decent performance out of Glavine, so the starting pitching has continued to impress
2. the Mets have continued their minhag from last year of striking early on the road. They scored 78 runs in the 1st inning on the road last year. In this series, they scored in the 1st inning or the 1st two games and while they failed to score in the 1st today, they came right back with 2 in the 2nd for tashlumin purposes.
3. Jose Reyes is inspired with Ruach HaKodesh. Watching him play every day is one of the greatest pleasures in my life right now. Check out Mike Vaccaro's article from Sunday in the Post, it borders on avodah zara.
On today's loss:
As soon as they took El Duque out of the game I told both Eric and Etan that the bullpen was gonna F this game up. It just had that feel. In a game where you let the other team stay in the game by continually squandering chances to break the game open, the baseball gods won't allow you to win the game. It's that simple.
Sadly, I will be missing the home opener tomorrow because God, in consultation with the Rabbis decided that we can't have more than 45 consecutive minutes during Pesach this year that are not interrupted by issur melacha. But I'll be there Wednesday night for our very own "Orthodox Opening Day" and as always, we'll be tailgating in the parking lot before. So if by any chance, there is someone out there who is reading this who was not already on the email about the tailgate, you are cordially invited to join us in the Shea parking lot (whatever is left of it) for some Dogs and Liebermans before the frum, home version of 2007 Mets Baseball gets underway.
Positives to take out of the weekend:
1. great efforts out of Perez and El Duque and a decent performance out of Glavine, so the starting pitching has continued to impress
2. the Mets have continued their minhag from last year of striking early on the road. They scored 78 runs in the 1st inning on the road last year. In this series, they scored in the 1st inning or the 1st two games and while they failed to score in the 1st today, they came right back with 2 in the 2nd for tashlumin purposes.
3. Jose Reyes is inspired with Ruach HaKodesh. Watching him play every day is one of the greatest pleasures in my life right now. Check out Mike Vaccaro's article from Sunday in the Post, it borders on avodah zara.
On today's loss:
As soon as they took El Duque out of the game I told both Eric and Etan that the bullpen was gonna F this game up. It just had that feel. In a game where you let the other team stay in the game by continually squandering chances to break the game open, the baseball gods won't allow you to win the game. It's that simple.
Sadly, I will be missing the home opener tomorrow because God, in consultation with the Rabbis decided that we can't have more than 45 consecutive minutes during Pesach this year that are not interrupted by issur melacha. But I'll be there Wednesday night for our very own "Orthodox Opening Day" and as always, we'll be tailgating in the parking lot before. So if by any chance, there is someone out there who is reading this who was not already on the email about the tailgate, you are cordially invited to join us in the Shea parking lot (whatever is left of it) for some Dogs and Liebermans before the frum, home version of 2007 Mets Baseball gets underway.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
"Revenge"
As I sat on the train on the way back to Manhattan after Game 7 of last year's NLCS, the most depressing, quiet, catatonic train ride of my life, I turned to Harold and said "I can't do this again." I wasn't going to allow myself to invest emotionally in a baseball season the way I had in the 2006 Mets because I couldn't let myself get crushed like that again. I, like many other Mets fans, spent the next 5+ plus months replaying that 9th inning over and over again in my head, hoping that this time Willie would bunt instead of sending Floyd up there, picturing Reyes' line drive sailing over Edmonds' head instead of into his glove, and begging Beltran to at least swing the bat. You would think that the bitter ending to last season would have had me counting down the days to the new season, eagerly anticipating their chance for a fresh start. Instead, I was almost dreading the new season because it was too daunting: to think they had to play 162 games, win a round of the playoffs and win 3 games of the NLCS just to get back to exactly where they were an hour before that train ride last year was too high a hurdle, especially when considering that this time they would be expected to do it. And so, unlike previous years, Opening Day totally snuck up on me this year. All of a sudden it was here and there was a baseball game on and the Mets were playing the Cardinals. There's something special about baseball though, which unless you really love it, you can't appreciate it. Because as soon as Chris Carpenter fired the 1st pitch of the season to Jose Reyes (a ball - good eye Jose, way to work the count, gotta be more patient at the plate this year)...I was back.
So, the Mets swept the Cardinals. What does this mean for them? It means they're 3-0. Not much else. My mom would try to convince you that the Mets are now likely to finish the season with a record of roughly 162-0 ("An 'A' student is always an 'A' student". ) My mom doesn't understand baseball. I try not to get wrapped up in the outcomes of games this early in the season because the baseball season is just too long. Still, there is something satisfying about sweeping the Cardinals in their building and doing it by a combined score of 20-2. Does this make us even? It very much does not. Nothing ever could. Even if the Cardinals were to go 0-162 for the next 10 years and the Mets were to run off with 10 straight World Series wins, we wouldn't be even. There is nothing that could happen that would take away the pain of Game 7. Nothing. A sports fan never forgets those games (for me, in order: 2006 NLCS Game 7, 1998 AFC Championship game, 1999 NLCS Game 6, 1994 NBA Finals Game 7.) Ask any Red Sox fan if beating the Yankees in 2004 made the memories of Aaron Boone or Bucky Dent any less painful. It doesn't. It never goes away.
So what can we take away from this 3-0 start?
1. This lineup is damn good. They were scary last year, but it seems they might be even better this year.
2. The starting pitching has been very encouraging. Not so much the combined 2 runs they gave up in the series, but more so that their starters have gone deep into games, which they'll really need this year with a weakened bullpen. John Maine's performance tonight was particularly encouraging because he is one of the players I have labeled as an "x factor" for this year. We know what we're gonna get out of Glavine and we know what El Duque can do when he's healthy. And the back end of the rotation will probably be a typical back end (the rookie and the hit or miss guy.) But John Maine could be the difference between the Mets having a "good enough to get by" rotation and a truly formidable one. If he can be the pitcher we saw flashes of down the stretch last year, most notably in Game 6, and then again tonight,
the Mets are gonna be tough to beat in the NL East.
3. Whatever chemistry last year's team had seems to have carried over to this year so far. The way they were able to just turn it on after a nervous spring is indicative of this. Or maybe they were just pumped to play the Cardinals. But I prefer to think that it means the team is just very good and well constructed. We'll see, I guess.
4. This lineup is damn good.
So that's what we can take out of these 3 games. Right now, it's hard to conceive a scenario under which the Mets could lose a game this year. But as the saying goes, "momentum is as good as tomorrow night's starting pitcher." And we have Oliver Perez (6.55 ERA last year) going Friday night in Atlanta. But for right now I'm gonna relish this feeling. Because baseball is back and I couldn't be happier. And the Mets are off to a 3-0 start to boot. And even if it doesn't really mean anything or change anything and we probably won't even remember this, for one night, we got our "revenge" on St. Louis.
So, the Mets swept the Cardinals. What does this mean for them? It means they're 3-0. Not much else. My mom would try to convince you that the Mets are now likely to finish the season with a record of roughly 162-0 ("An 'A' student is always an 'A' student". ) My mom doesn't understand baseball. I try not to get wrapped up in the outcomes of games this early in the season because the baseball season is just too long. Still, there is something satisfying about sweeping the Cardinals in their building and doing it by a combined score of 20-2. Does this make us even? It very much does not. Nothing ever could. Even if the Cardinals were to go 0-162 for the next 10 years and the Mets were to run off with 10 straight World Series wins, we wouldn't be even. There is nothing that could happen that would take away the pain of Game 7. Nothing. A sports fan never forgets those games (for me, in order: 2006 NLCS Game 7, 1998 AFC Championship game, 1999 NLCS Game 6, 1994 NBA Finals Game 7.) Ask any Red Sox fan if beating the Yankees in 2004 made the memories of Aaron Boone or Bucky Dent any less painful. It doesn't. It never goes away.
So what can we take away from this 3-0 start?
1. This lineup is damn good. They were scary last year, but it seems they might be even better this year.
2. The starting pitching has been very encouraging. Not so much the combined 2 runs they gave up in the series, but more so that their starters have gone deep into games, which they'll really need this year with a weakened bullpen. John Maine's performance tonight was particularly encouraging because he is one of the players I have labeled as an "x factor" for this year. We know what we're gonna get out of Glavine and we know what El Duque can do when he's healthy. And the back end of the rotation will probably be a typical back end (the rookie and the hit or miss guy.) But John Maine could be the difference between the Mets having a "good enough to get by" rotation and a truly formidable one. If he can be the pitcher we saw flashes of down the stretch last year, most notably in Game 6, and then again tonight,
the Mets are gonna be tough to beat in the NL East.
3. Whatever chemistry last year's team had seems to have carried over to this year so far. The way they were able to just turn it on after a nervous spring is indicative of this. Or maybe they were just pumped to play the Cardinals. But I prefer to think that it means the team is just very good and well constructed. We'll see, I guess.
4. This lineup is damn good.
So that's what we can take out of these 3 games. Right now, it's hard to conceive a scenario under which the Mets could lose a game this year. But as the saying goes, "momentum is as good as tomorrow night's starting pitcher." And we have Oliver Perez (6.55 ERA last year) going Friday night in Atlanta. But for right now I'm gonna relish this feeling. Because baseball is back and I couldn't be happier. And the Mets are off to a 3-0 start to boot. And even if it doesn't really mean anything or change anything and we probably won't even remember this, for one night, we got our "revenge" on St. Louis.
Welcome
Welcome to my 2007 NY Mets blog. If you are reading this, it's probably because I emailed you or told you about it and you decided to click on the URL. Anyways, here's the deal: I have decided to write a blog covering the 2007 Mets' season. Unlike other people, I am not promising that this will be a daily blog. I am not even promising that it will be funny or particularly interesting. I am simply using this as a venue to record some of my thoughts and impressions of the Mets as we go through the season. I like recording my thoughts about things as they occur and being able to look back at them later, so really this is mostly for myself. If anyone else finds this interesting or amusing, that's an added bonus. This season has a chance to be very special and I would love to have all of you to share it with me as much as possible both in person and through this blog as we embark together on what I can only hope will be the year the Mets finally win it all.
More later...
More later...
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