American League 7, National League 5

Well, that's a shame. When the Mets make their Amazin' run to the post-season, this All Star Game loss is really going to sting, costing them home field advantage in the World Series. Not that Mike Piazza or Carlos Beltran* did much to help their own cause. Beltran* went 1-for-3, as he gets ready for the big second-half surge...and Piazza went 0-for-2.

I've been thinking a lot about the Mets' second half (what else is the All-Star break for...oh, yeah - reflecting on the first half as well), and I've been thinking that they sure can make a run. And it'll start right off the bat - Atlanta is at Shea for four games beginning Thursday. So the Mets can make a run at the wild card right out of the gate, and I still believe they will have a shot at the division before all is said and done.

I've also been spending a lot of time going through some of my old Mets programs and scorecards (my mom is making me clean out my bookcase in New York), and I've been reminiscing about that old Mets' magic. I would love for another exciting September-October...I'm getting psyched for football season, but that can change easily, with a little Mets magic.

Let's talk about Pittsburgh. First of all, I didn't have a chance to write last weekend, but the Mets blew a huge opportunity. Not only did they blow Friday and Saturday's games, but the Nationals, Braves, and Marlins were all losing, so the Mets lost a chance to pick up some valuable ground (as it stands, they are only eight games back, and have the distinction of being the last place team in the only division since divisional play began in 1969 to have all of its teams at .500 or above at the All Star Break). Secondly, the Mets flat out blew Friday and Saturday's games...but I don't want to live in the past. (An interesting note about the bars in Pittsburgh - we went out to eat on Friday night, and none of the bars we passed had the Pirates games on, and when I asked the restaurant if they could switch on Fox Sports for the Pirates, they told me they didn't have the channel. So I was forced to follow the scores on ESPN2 - during bowling!! Of course, we left the restaurant, and the Mets were leading 5-1 - I didn't know there were 2 out in the ninth though! - and when we got out of the cab at our hotel, fireworks were going off at the ballpark...so I knew something wasn't right.)

Thus begins my discussion - our hotel was right across the 6th Street Bridge from the ballpark - that's the bridge that's right over the center field wall if you've ever seen PNC Park on TV. (The bridge is also known as the Roberto Clemente Bridge.) So that's why we could see the fireworks Friday night. Unfortunately, the hotel left something to be desired - booking us (4 people) a room with just one bed. We worked it out- to the tune of a different room and a complimentary breakfast. Pittsburgh the city didn't offer much more than the hotel (but at least we got a free breakfast from the hotel). We walked to Heinz Field, which looks nice, and that was about it for the walking tour of Pittsburgh. James Taylor was playing Pittsburgh, I guess - because we walked by him on the street and saw his tour bus.

The game on Saturday night, obviously, stunk. But PNC Park is beautiful. I rank it behind Minute Maid Park on my favorites list right now. Minute Maid has more to offer as a ballpark (baseball field, stuff displayed in the concourses), but PNC Park looks great - I love the bridges in the background. Just love them. The place was packed - a lot of New Yorkers made the trip - and I have to admit, since the Pirates were beating the heck out of the Mets, the atmosphere was pretty good in the ballpark. The Clemente bridge is closed to vehicle traffic before and after games, so that lends to a nice pre-and-post-game atmosphere too - people pouring out into the streets.

I had a hot dog at the game, which was horrible. I wish I tried some different food - the hot dog was brutal. I've never had a worse ballpark dog - it was rubbery. That's how I'd describe it. I saw batting practice - almost caught a Mike Piazza homer - my sister's boyfriend ended up chasing down a Pirates' player's home run shot in BP. We went right up behind the Mets' dugout during pre-game stretches. It was nice, but the Pirates have a lot - A LOT - of history, and it wasn't really on display throughout the stadium. I would have liked to see more of that. For example - the Diamondbacks display jerseys and World Series memorabilia all over Bank One Ballpark - and they've been around less than a decade! I think the Pirates can do more showing off around the park...unless I missed it.

Overall, the ballpark was worth the trip to Pittsburgh - but it's a loooooong ride. When I go back to see Heinz, I'm flying.

THE KID'S KIDS: WOW. What a team down there in Port St. Lucie. Hall of Famer Gary Carter's Gulf Coast Mets scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Gulf Coast Marlins 3-2, improving to 12-3. Talk about your Mets magic.