Unlike last year, when I made an impulse buy of a terrible baseball preview magazine the night of our fantasy baseball draft, this year I bought my trusty old "Sporting News" Baseball Preview well in advance. It has lots of editing errors, which always drives me nuts, and also doesn't have any baseball move made after mid-January at the latest, which has always bothered me, but I like its layout and I find it the best of the selection...especially with our fantasy draft always waaaay earlier than normal fantasy drafts.
But - I have mentioned this in the past - I take a different approach to reading a baseball preview. Usually I save the Mets until last, but since we draft only from the AL and NL East, I now read those two sections first. And I spend a lot of time looking at players' birthdays.
This year, it struck me that there are a lot of players with my birthday. And Gary Carter's birthday - those are two specific dates that jumped out at me. And there are also a lot of baseball players with some pretty cool birthday numbers that made me want to write about them. So here they are:
COOL BIRTHDAYS
(Inspired mostly by Grady Sizemore, who has an 8/2/82 birthday, which I discovered on my souvenir cup on my trip to Cleveland a couple of years ago)
Mark Reynolds, Arizona - 8/3/83
Jamie Walker, Baltimore - 7/1/71
Jacob McGee, Tampa Bay - 8/6/86
Huston Street, Colorado - 8/2/83 (hmm, now that I've typed that one it looks less cool to me)
Craig Breslow, Minnesota - 8/8/80
Mark Worrell, San Diego - 3/8/83
Travis Denker, San Diego - 8/5/85
Mark Ellis, Oakland - 6/6/77
Angel Salamone, Milwaukee - 6/8/86
And the Mets have a pretty strong contingent in this department:
Sean Green and J.J. Putz share a 2/22/77 birthday
Brian Stokes has a nice palindrome - 9/7/79 (Justin in NYC's birthday, incidentally, which is quite popular among major leaguers, I noticed)
And Jon Niese, potential number 5 starter -10/27/86 - I don't remember when he was up last year that he was born on the day the Mets won the 1986 World Series. That should grant him total immunity from ever being sent down or traded - Met for life. And it should definitely not go as unmentioned this year.
PLAYERS WHO SHARE MY BIRTHDAY (JULY 7)
John Buck, Kansas City, 1980
Alfredo Figaro, Detroit, 1984
Brandon McCarthy, Texas, 1983
Luke Montz, Washington, 1983
R.J. Swindle, Milwaukee, 1983
Leyson Septimo, Arizona, 1985
PLAYERS WHO SHARE GARY CARTER'S (and Dave in Brighton's) BIRTHDAY (APRIL 8)
I can't believe how popular this birthday is. It must be a day for athletes to be born, as well as creative types who excel at sedentary sports:
Carlos Santana, Cleveland, 1986
Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore, 1979
Bobby Wilson, L.A. Angels, 1983
Eric Patterson, Oakland, 1983
Kason Gabbard, Texas, 1982
Eddie Kunz, N.Y. Mets, 1986
Diory Hernandez, Atlanta, 1984
Yonder Alonso (great first name - he's a first baseman - it'd be awesome if he went to make a tag and the runner beat him by jumping over the tag - "He's safe, because he jumped over Yonder!"), Cincinnati, 1987
Chris Iannetta, Colorado, 1983
Matt Antonelli, San Diego, 1985
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, July 04, 2008
HAPPY 4TH
On this Independence Day, I thought I'd share with you a little of the inner workings of my brain. I often wonder how certain historical figures compare with certain athletes. Do they compare?
Admittedly, some of these are forced, but I thought I'd take a look at some of the figures of our independence and pick a Met that shares some of the characteristics of that person. I found myself basically recreating the 1986 team, I guess because I'm pining for some happy Mets memories these days, but I think it works:
Every story needs a foil, an enemy, a villain. For the 13 colonies, it was England, represented by King George III (although if you want to get into specifics it was more the ideas represented by the king than the person himself, but for our intents and purposes.....). For the Mets, historically, it's been the Braves, represented in the person of Bobby Cox. So many of the players have come and gone, but the Braves have stood in the Mets' way (not counting last year) since 1995...and Cox has been the constant.
Some call Samuel Adams the "Father of the American Revolution". He was an older guy, with a palsy, and he wasn't very successful at anything he did in life. He failed as a businessman and as a tax collector. But what he could do was stir up trouble. He was sort of the behind-the-scenes orchestrator of the Revolution. Davey Johnson (or any manager, for that matter) fits that role with the Mets - a behind-the-scenes figure who pulled the strings and put people in the place they needed to be to succeed.
Looking for an on-the-scene leader? That would be Keith Hernandez for the Mets - a captain, and the one who took a vocal lead when one was needed. The same way George Washington took charge of an army that wasn't really an army yet and pulled off a great upset. Both commanded the respect of the people around them.
Looking for someone reliable to get a job done? Paul Revere orchestrated an alert system to let the countryside know that the soldiers were on the move. He kept his cool under pressure, even being captured that night. Gary Carter also kept his cool in a pressure situation, keeping the Mets alive in the 1986 World Series when they were down to their last out. Both survived hits to their reputations later in life, and both couldn't have done it without lots of help (Billy Dawes rode ahead of Revere, Carter was a member of a team), but to hear their stories told (Revere by Longfellow, Carter by Carter) you'd have thought they were the only people to ever do what they did.
As Sam Adams was the "Father", John Hancock was the "Money". He financed many different aspects of the Revolution with his healthy inheritance. He was a figurehead, he couldn't go out and fight, but he made his mark, literally, by putting his name on the Declaration of Independence first and largest. He also led the meetings between all of the colonies - an ace of the staff, so to speak. Dwight Gooden was the "Money" pitcher for the Mets in the early-to-mid-1980's, leading up the Mets' pitching staff.
Ray Knight was a veteran presence in his brief tenure with the Mets. He was just a solid pro. Thomas Jefferson was a similar presence among the early American politicians, although I wouldn't classify him as anything close to an MVP. In another interesting connection, Knight married pro golfer Nancy Lopez while Thomas Jefferson looked like he could be a veteran of the LPGA.
I hate to compare Darryl Strawberry to the greatest traitor in American history...but here goes. Benedict Arnold was actually a celebrated member of the Continental Army before he felt underappreciated and decided to gather information for the British side. Darryl Strawberry's story is also one of great promise with a huge downfall. He also went to play for the Dodgers and then the Yankees - sort of traitorous, no?
For many years, John Adams was sort of an overlooked figure in the American Revolution. He played an important role, but his failures were noticed somewhat more than his accomplishments. He was insecure - always worried about his legacy, which turned out OK more than 200 years later. Rafael Santana played an important position - shortstop - for a World Series-winning team. He is overlooked. He should be worried about how history will remember him.
This is one of those that might be a stretch. I felt that Lenny Dykstra had to be included - I sort of tied him to John Paul Jones - naval hero. Both sort of had an all-or-nothing attitude, risking life and limb to achieve their goal.
Patrick Henry was a Virginian who inspired with his words. Wally Backman was an Oregonian who inspired with his play. Hmm. Maybe another stretch.
Finally, you may not have heard of James Otis. He was a powerful speaker who spoke out against the tyrannies of England. His words inspired men like Sam Adams to take action. One day he was accused by British soldiers of being disloyal to the King because of what he had said - he took offense to being called a 'traitor' because he thought he was just speaking the truth - he didn't believe the colonies should separate from England at the time, just work out a better system of taxation. Anyway, the soliders cracked him over the head with a sword, the story goes, and Otis was never the same - slipping slowly into insanity. You ever hear the story about Kevin Mitchell and the cat at a girlfriend's house? That dude was crazy too.
Admittedly, some of these are forced, but I thought I'd take a look at some of the figures of our independence and pick a Met that shares some of the characteristics of that person. I found myself basically recreating the 1986 team, I guess because I'm pining for some happy Mets memories these days, but I think it works:
Every story needs a foil, an enemy, a villain. For the 13 colonies, it was England, represented by King George III (although if you want to get into specifics it was more the ideas represented by the king than the person himself, but for our intents and purposes.....). For the Mets, historically, it's been the Braves, represented in the person of Bobby Cox. So many of the players have come and gone, but the Braves have stood in the Mets' way (not counting last year) since 1995...and Cox has been the constant.
Some call Samuel Adams the "Father of the American Revolution". He was an older guy, with a palsy, and he wasn't very successful at anything he did in life. He failed as a businessman and as a tax collector. But what he could do was stir up trouble. He was sort of the behind-the-scenes orchestrator of the Revolution. Davey Johnson (or any manager, for that matter) fits that role with the Mets - a behind-the-scenes figure who pulled the strings and put people in the place they needed to be to succeed.
Looking for an on-the-scene leader? That would be Keith Hernandez for the Mets - a captain, and the one who took a vocal lead when one was needed. The same way George Washington took charge of an army that wasn't really an army yet and pulled off a great upset. Both commanded the respect of the people around them.
Looking for someone reliable to get a job done? Paul Revere orchestrated an alert system to let the countryside know that the soldiers were on the move. He kept his cool under pressure, even being captured that night. Gary Carter also kept his cool in a pressure situation, keeping the Mets alive in the 1986 World Series when they were down to their last out. Both survived hits to their reputations later in life, and both couldn't have done it without lots of help (Billy Dawes rode ahead of Revere, Carter was a member of a team), but to hear their stories told (Revere by Longfellow, Carter by Carter) you'd have thought they were the only people to ever do what they did.
As Sam Adams was the "Father", John Hancock was the "Money". He financed many different aspects of the Revolution with his healthy inheritance. He was a figurehead, he couldn't go out and fight, but he made his mark, literally, by putting his name on the Declaration of Independence first and largest. He also led the meetings between all of the colonies - an ace of the staff, so to speak. Dwight Gooden was the "Money" pitcher for the Mets in the early-to-mid-1980's, leading up the Mets' pitching staff.
Ray Knight was a veteran presence in his brief tenure with the Mets. He was just a solid pro. Thomas Jefferson was a similar presence among the early American politicians, although I wouldn't classify him as anything close to an MVP. In another interesting connection, Knight married pro golfer Nancy Lopez while Thomas Jefferson looked like he could be a veteran of the LPGA.
I hate to compare Darryl Strawberry to the greatest traitor in American history...but here goes. Benedict Arnold was actually a celebrated member of the Continental Army before he felt underappreciated and decided to gather information for the British side. Darryl Strawberry's story is also one of great promise with a huge downfall. He also went to play for the Dodgers and then the Yankees - sort of traitorous, no?
For many years, John Adams was sort of an overlooked figure in the American Revolution. He played an important role, but his failures were noticed somewhat more than his accomplishments. He was insecure - always worried about his legacy, which turned out OK more than 200 years later. Rafael Santana played an important position - shortstop - for a World Series-winning team. He is overlooked. He should be worried about how history will remember him.
This is one of those that might be a stretch. I felt that Lenny Dykstra had to be included - I sort of tied him to John Paul Jones - naval hero. Both sort of had an all-or-nothing attitude, risking life and limb to achieve their goal.
Patrick Henry was a Virginian who inspired with his words. Wally Backman was an Oregonian who inspired with his play. Hmm. Maybe another stretch.
Finally, you may not have heard of James Otis. He was a powerful speaker who spoke out against the tyrannies of England. His words inspired men like Sam Adams to take action. One day he was accused by British soldiers of being disloyal to the King because of what he had said - he took offense to being called a 'traitor' because he thought he was just speaking the truth - he didn't believe the colonies should separate from England at the time, just work out a better system of taxation. Anyway, the soliders cracked him over the head with a sword, the story goes, and Otis was never the same - slipping slowly into insanity. You ever hear the story about Kevin Mitchell and the cat at a girlfriend's house? That dude was crazy too.
Friday, June 27, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
STILL A KID AT HEART: MY LIFE IN BASEBALL AND BEYONDBy Gary Carter with Phil Pepe
You may remember, more than two months ago now, when I said I was dropping everything to read the new book by Gary Carter, which I just happened upon in Barnes & Noble while walking down the sports section aisle.
Well, I've only just finished the book (in case you thought I was holding back on the review I promised). It's not that it was a 550-page tome that had me slogging through it every day. It's partly because when I get books like this that have to do with baseball or something I'm really interested in, I savor them, and read them slowly, trying to drag them out for a while. The other part of taking my time with this book had to do with the fact that it wasn't really setting my world on fire.
The good news about the book is that it wasn't the same ol', same ol'. I have two other books by Gary Carter (I think they're the only other two, but I can't say that for sure) - A Dream Season, which is all about the 1986 season, and The Gamer, written right after his retirement, which summarizes his career. There's a little overlap in those books.
This one, while I was expecting that, doesn't really dwell on 1986, which I thought it would, nor does it focus on his family. While I find both of those things interesting (the 1986 part more than the family part, though for an embarrassingly long time I daydreamed that I would marry one of Carter's daughters and become part of his family, so I can't say I'm totally uninterested in his family), it was nice to hear Carter voice his opinion on other things.
And voice he did. Carter writes about coaching, his impressions of the business side of baseball, steroids, the game of baseball in general and his love of the game, the Hall of Fame, who might end up in the Hall of Fame, who should be in the Hall of Fame, and how he felt becoming a Hall of Famer.
Some of this stuff is interesting, some of it is pages-long examples of what it would be like if you gave Gary Carter a job interview, and none of it is ground-breaking. There's not one thing in there that makes you think, "Wow. That's an original idea - no one has thought of that before."
I want to give you an example of what I mean when I say parts of the book read like a job interview. At times Carter comes off as desperate, or rather eager - as in this excerpt:
"Having been a minor league manager, I think I now know what it takes to be a good big-league manager, but do I really know? I've never done it, and until I have, I really can't know. I know a lot of responsibility is put on a big-league manager that minor league managers don't have to face. It takes working with the media, being fan friendly, and caring for your players. I have the greatest appreciation and respect for those who have done it and have been successful. I think I can be successful, too. I believe my qualifications are there. I'm confident I can handle it, but I won't know until I've done it. I would love the opportunity to try. I accept the fact that it might not happen. If it does, it would be a blessing."
So, I'm thinking he'd like a shot at managing in the bigs. Just a guess.
That's a taste of what the book is about. Though it's fading fast (see next section below), I have a high tolerance of Gary Carter because he's my favorite. I don't think this book would be for everyone...but if you want a heaping helping of Carter, this is where to get it.
FOOT-IN-MOUTH DISEASE, AGAIN: I'm not sure I understand why Carter keeps opening his mouth these days. The Wife sent me this article the other day from the New York Post in which Carter goes off on Joe Girardi and the Steinbrenners. I don't know why he does this. If he's trying to get publicity for himself for his book, someone should tell him he's going about it in totally the wrong way. (The Post took the quote from an interview with T.J. Simers in the LA Times - I can't figure out if Simers is in Carter's corner or not. But that's worth a read too.)Here's the kicker - the guy can manage. The Orange County Flyers are 21-6, best in the Golden Baseball League. We might have to start another edition of "The Kid's Kids".
So three minor league stops, and all Carter has done at each of those stops is lead his teams to winning seasons (very winning seasons).
With the kind of characters involved in professional sports, it's amazing to me that no one will give Carter the time of day...whether or not he can keep his mouth shut.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
A PATS FAN'S REACTION TO THE SUPER BOWL
The Wife, a Patriots fan, is recovering from the Giants' win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. She weighs in with this entry:
I should’ve known the Patriots’ downfall was coming. But unfortunately, I – and the rest of New England – forgot what it means to be a sports fan in this area. This was a cold, hard slap back into reality.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t plan a victory parade before the victory.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t apply for a trademark for “19-0” or “The Perfect Season” before you’ve had a perfect season.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t wear a red sweatshirt during the final game when your silly, gray hoodie has brought you luck all season.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t get your hair cut before the big game and you don’t let your girlfriend sit in the luxury box (even if she is a supermodel).
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t go on your husband’s blog and guarantee victory for your team. (Sorry, that was stupid of me).
We only need to go back in history – 1986 when Roger Clemens left the dugout during Game 6 to shave for the post-game interviews, 2003 when the Red Sox grounds crew painted the World Series logo on the grounds of Fenway before the ALCS was over – to see that these are things you DON’T DO! Because when you do do them, you get screwed. And even if you don’t do them, you’ll probably still get screwed.
No, our sports history is based on suffering, heartache and blame. And now the cycle continues. Just when we thought we had won enough championships in recent years to have gotten rid of all jinxes, superstitions, and plain ol’ bad luck, and could turn all haughty and boastful, the sports gods have brought us back to reality. Face it: this is Boston. This is our legacy. We all should’ve known better.
GO SOX!!!
The thing that stood out most to me here - I thought I knew everything about Game 6 of the 1986 World Series - but I didn't know about the Roger Clemens shaving thing. So I looked it up on google, and it was on a blog or two, but I didn't trust that. So I went straight to the videotape. Early in the game, Clemens clearly has a little stubble (not confirmed by The Wife, who said, looking at the grainy video, "I can't tell, he's like 12."), and kind of has sideburns. Then, later, during Gary Carter's at bat in the 10th inning, he's in the dugout, and he's clean shaven. I couldn't find a definitive image from the early part of the game - but someone online somewhere took this picture of Clemens from his TV, and it is clear that Roger shaved:
Now, I know we have to turn the page to baseball. The Southern Bureau can't wait:
"Lets talk baseball. Forget football.
Mets projected lineup: courtesy mets.mlb.com
SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
OF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
OF Moises Alou
OF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
THOUGHTS???"
I promise you - by Sunday night/Monday morning, I'll be full-fledged baseball. I'm working on a month-long season preview. Trust me. First, a couple of more football loose ends to tie up, then a brief NASCAR pit stop. Then away we go with baseball. Please bear with me.
I should’ve known the Patriots’ downfall was coming. But unfortunately, I – and the rest of New England – forgot what it means to be a sports fan in this area. This was a cold, hard slap back into reality.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t plan a victory parade before the victory.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t apply for a trademark for “19-0” or “The Perfect Season” before you’ve had a perfect season.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t wear a red sweatshirt during the final game when your silly, gray hoodie has brought you luck all season.
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t get your hair cut before the big game and you don’t let your girlfriend sit in the luxury box (even if she is a supermodel).
Being a sports fan in Boston means you don’t go on your husband’s blog and guarantee victory for your team. (Sorry, that was stupid of me).
We only need to go back in history – 1986 when Roger Clemens left the dugout during Game 6 to shave for the post-game interviews, 2003 when the Red Sox grounds crew painted the World Series logo on the grounds of Fenway before the ALCS was over – to see that these are things you DON’T DO! Because when you do do them, you get screwed. And even if you don’t do them, you’ll probably still get screwed.
No, our sports history is based on suffering, heartache and blame. And now the cycle continues. Just when we thought we had won enough championships in recent years to have gotten rid of all jinxes, superstitions, and plain ol’ bad luck, and could turn all haughty and boastful, the sports gods have brought us back to reality. Face it: this is Boston. This is our legacy. We all should’ve known better.
GO SOX!!!
The thing that stood out most to me here - I thought I knew everything about Game 6 of the 1986 World Series - but I didn't know about the Roger Clemens shaving thing. So I looked it up on google, and it was on a blog or two, but I didn't trust that. So I went straight to the videotape. Early in the game, Clemens clearly has a little stubble (not confirmed by The Wife, who said, looking at the grainy video, "I can't tell, he's like 12."), and kind of has sideburns. Then, later, during Gary Carter's at bat in the 10th inning, he's in the dugout, and he's clean shaven. I couldn't find a definitive image from the early part of the game - but someone online somewhere took this picture of Clemens from his TV, and it is clear that Roger shaved:
Now, I know we have to turn the page to baseball. The Southern Bureau can't wait:
"Lets talk baseball. Forget football.
Mets projected lineup: courtesy mets.mlb.com
SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
OF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
OF Moises Alou
OF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
THOUGHTS???"
I promise you - by Sunday night/Monday morning, I'll be full-fledged baseball. I'm working on a month-long season preview. Trust me. First, a couple of more football loose ends to tie up, then a brief NASCAR pit stop. Then away we go with baseball. Please bear with me.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
This isn't the first time I've been an outsider. I spent about half of my life (I'm pushing 30 now, and I was an odd duck for about the first 15 years) as more of a social observer than interactor. So maybe I'm suited to be a fan of the Mets and Jets. Occasionally, I'm invited to the party - make an appearance, have a little fun, go home early. (Jets - 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006; Mets - 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006). Once in a while, I'm the hit of the party - 1986 - but that's when I was 8, and my cute kid-ness covered up the other inadequacies.
Anyway, a look at the past couple of years, playoff-wise, shows that once again, I'm on the outside looking in, while all of the people around me are having a blast:
The toughest part is living in New England, where the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots have had tremendous success, just about from the time when I moved up here until this day. (Really - starting with the Patriots making the Super Bowl in 1996, then lots of Red Sox playoff appearances, then both teams winning multiple championships.) It's bad enough the Jets and Patriots play in the same division - but seeing all of this success right in my own backyard, while I'm always left out - it's rough. The equivalent of this is you make a friend at school, bring him/her home to your neighborhood, and the popular kid next door, who doesn't go to your school, steals your friend and they have a bunch of fun together, and all of a sudden you're a third wheel.
Then there's the other options. I could have been a Yankees fan...or a Giants fan. And then I would be happy - celebrating recent championships or championship game appearances (Giants - 3 Super Bowl appearances in my lifetime [2 wins], Jets - 0...and we all know about Yankees vs. Mets), instead of watching smarter team-pickers than I having more success than me. This group ranges from acquaintances to close friends to members of my own family. So that's just a constant reminder of bad choices...but, in the end, appropriate ones.
Of course, we all know about my second choice. The Packers are a team I've always rooted for when my real team fades. During the 1990's, it was the Packers who were making playoff appearances year after year, while the Jets were going 4-12, 3-13, 1-15, etc. But, they're a second choice - they're not my team. Plus, they weren't even tremendously successful...one championship, one other Super Bowl appearance. I guess that's the friend you kind of have fun with, but you don't see very often, and maybe they don't even consider you a friend. You're like a hanger-on.
Then there's the rivals. The Patriots we've already commented on....but for years the teams the Mets couldn't beat were the ones who stood in their way - the Atlanta Braves for many years, and the Philadelphia Phillies this past, horrid, horrible year. And that's watching the kid you hate, the bully, having fun, getting all the rewards, being Mr. Popular, even though he's a jerk.
And, finally, there's the new blood. I'm sitting here, nearly 30 years old, and the teams I root for (I'll even throw the Rangers in there) have won two championships....one if I take away the Rangers. The playoff appearances I could even count on my fingers...maybe a couple of toes. And then there's the Arizona Diamondbacks, who broke the Mets' record for success out of the gate (1998, created, 2001 championship - the Mets were 1962, 1969), and are back on a successful run again. And the Rockies - who are on the upswing and made the World Series this year. This isn't the strongest argument in the world, but it's fresh in my mind. It's like your younger brother becoming more popular with your own friends, just when you've established some friendships. Not that I'd know.
So here I am, on the outside looking in. Sure looks like a lot of fun. I'm going to go back to watching TV now.
Anyway, a look at the past couple of years, playoff-wise, shows that once again, I'm on the outside looking in, while all of the people around me are having a blast:
The toughest part is living in New England, where the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots have had tremendous success, just about from the time when I moved up here until this day. (Really - starting with the Patriots making the Super Bowl in 1996, then lots of Red Sox playoff appearances, then both teams winning multiple championships.) It's bad enough the Jets and Patriots play in the same division - but seeing all of this success right in my own backyard, while I'm always left out - it's rough. The equivalent of this is you make a friend at school, bring him/her home to your neighborhood, and the popular kid next door, who doesn't go to your school, steals your friend and they have a bunch of fun together, and all of a sudden you're a third wheel.
Then there's the other options. I could have been a Yankees fan...or a Giants fan. And then I would be happy - celebrating recent championships or championship game appearances (Giants - 3 Super Bowl appearances in my lifetime [2 wins], Jets - 0...and we all know about Yankees vs. Mets), instead of watching smarter team-pickers than I having more success than me. This group ranges from acquaintances to close friends to members of my own family. So that's just a constant reminder of bad choices...but, in the end, appropriate ones.
Of course, we all know about my second choice. The Packers are a team I've always rooted for when my real team fades. During the 1990's, it was the Packers who were making playoff appearances year after year, while the Jets were going 4-12, 3-13, 1-15, etc. But, they're a second choice - they're not my team. Plus, they weren't even tremendously successful...one championship, one other Super Bowl appearance. I guess that's the friend you kind of have fun with, but you don't see very often, and maybe they don't even consider you a friend. You're like a hanger-on.
Then there's the rivals. The Patriots we've already commented on....but for years the teams the Mets couldn't beat were the ones who stood in their way - the Atlanta Braves for many years, and the Philadelphia Phillies this past, horrid, horrible year. And that's watching the kid you hate, the bully, having fun, getting all the rewards, being Mr. Popular, even though he's a jerk.
And, finally, there's the new blood. I'm sitting here, nearly 30 years old, and the teams I root for (I'll even throw the Rangers in there) have won two championships....one if I take away the Rangers. The playoff appearances I could even count on my fingers...maybe a couple of toes. And then there's the Arizona Diamondbacks, who broke the Mets' record for success out of the gate (1998, created, 2001 championship - the Mets were 1962, 1969), and are back on a successful run again. And the Rockies - who are on the upswing and made the World Series this year. This isn't the strongest argument in the world, but it's fresh in my mind. It's like your younger brother becoming more popular with your own friends, just when you've established some friendships. Not that I'd know.
So here I am, on the outside looking in. Sure looks like a lot of fun. I'm going to go back to watching TV now.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
CALLED TO THE HALL
I have lots of problems with lots of things. Trouble is, with some of these things, here's the way my mind works:
1) acknowledge problem
2) obsess over how troubling the problem is
3) move onto another problem to obsess over
Rarely does 2a) happen, but in this case it has. 2a) is this: Think of solution to problem, publish it on blog, and solve problem.
Here's what I've solved.
The problem is election into the baseball Hall of Fame. I have a big problem with the fact that a guy is not a Hall of Famer one year (maybe on his own merit, maybe in comparison to the people he's up for election with in a given year), and then in succeeding years, he gets closer and closer and closer to election, until one January day he gets the call and suddenly, he's a Hall of Famer! (Two things - I realize this system worked for Hall of Famer Gary Carter, but it's flawed to me, no matter which person I idolize benefits. Also, I realize that this is not the only problem with the system, but it's the only one I'm solving.)
Now, this is big news up by me these days because of Jim Rice, and how close he has gotten this year, and how likely it is that he will get in next year, after 15 years of eligibility (I think I have that right....I'm going sans looking up information here). (Also note that this is Jim Rice, pictured below. He's the Red Sox player about to be tagged out at home by Gary Carter in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.).
What makes Rice a Hall of Famer now, after all these years, when he barely got 30% of the vote his first few times out? (Actually, with Rice, it's quite simple - the media are lording it over him that they control his Hall of Fame fate, because he was a downright jerk to them when he was playing. Since the media always gets the last laugh [you listening, Roger Clemens?], and he didn't stay on their good side, he's paying the price.)
My solution to this whole thing - wait more than 5 years on marginal candidates before you vote. Maybe give it ten years, and only leave them on the ballot for five years total. This way:
1) We're not subjected to year after year of voting, where a guy inches closer and closer and finally makes it.
2) A player, instead of campaigning and trying to win votes after his first year of eligibility and seeing how many more votes he needs, can spend 10 years building the case for candidacy before anyone votes at all.
3) A player like Jim Rice, who ticked off the writers, can have a longer cooling-off period (but, really, when it comes down to the media, they have long memories, and will hold the grudge no matter what).
4) With a player who is a lock for the Hall of Fame, the commissioner can step in and do something positive for the sport - waive the waiting period, or declare a 5-year waiting period, and that player can get in sooner.
I just thought I'd weigh in - it's rare that I can complain about something and offer some ideas to make it better. So I'm taking advantage of that opportunity.
AN E-MAIL: Thanks to Rob in New Jersey, who heard my desperate plea for e-mail and answered...in reference to my post last week about the Mangini cell phone ads:
"I was going to post a comment, but I didn't feel like taking the time to set up a log-in. Plus, I could tell you were jonesin' for an email to this address.
Re: Magini's Razr phone commercials... It also took me several viewing before I got the point.
Even though I agree with your take on the ads, allow me to pose an alternate theory: could it be that everyone in the city with a stake in Jets' outcomes or with things that cause angst is chucking his phone in frustration and they just end with Mangini showing his particular brand of frustration as a way of illustrating why the phones are turning up embedded in walls? In other words, could they be trying to make us think that Razrs are getting embedded in walls all over the place as people have things - Jets related or not - digust them? Hmmmm..."
If you want to meet someone who has obsessed over this longer and given it more thought than I, meet Rob. I think he's right - that's probably where all of the phones came from. It never seemed right that Mangini had about twenty phones and was chucking them into things all over Jersey. Thanks for making sense of that, Rob.
That said, I think we can all agree that if that is Belichick's voice at the end of the commercial (and the more I hear it now, the more I think it is), it's gotta be driving him nuts that he's tagging the end of a commercial starring Eric Mangini.
1) acknowledge problem
2) obsess over how troubling the problem is
3) move onto another problem to obsess over
Rarely does 2a) happen, but in this case it has. 2a) is this: Think of solution to problem, publish it on blog, and solve problem.
Here's what I've solved.
The problem is election into the baseball Hall of Fame. I have a big problem with the fact that a guy is not a Hall of Famer one year (maybe on his own merit, maybe in comparison to the people he's up for election with in a given year), and then in succeeding years, he gets closer and closer and closer to election, until one January day he gets the call and suddenly, he's a Hall of Famer! (Two things - I realize this system worked for Hall of Famer Gary Carter, but it's flawed to me, no matter which person I idolize benefits. Also, I realize that this is not the only problem with the system, but it's the only one I'm solving.)Now, this is big news up by me these days because of Jim Rice, and how close he has gotten this year, and how likely it is that he will get in next year, after 15 years of eligibility (I think I have that right....I'm going sans looking up information here). (Also note that this is Jim Rice, pictured below. He's the Red Sox player about to be tagged out at home by Gary Carter in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.).
What makes Rice a Hall of Famer now, after all these years, when he barely got 30% of the vote his first few times out? (Actually, with Rice, it's quite simple - the media are lording it over him that they control his Hall of Fame fate, because he was a downright jerk to them when he was playing. Since the media always gets the last laugh [you listening, Roger Clemens?], and he didn't stay on their good side, he's paying the price.)
My solution to this whole thing - wait more than 5 years on marginal candidates before you vote. Maybe give it ten years, and only leave them on the ballot for five years total. This way:
1) We're not subjected to year after year of voting, where a guy inches closer and closer and finally makes it.
2) A player, instead of campaigning and trying to win votes after his first year of eligibility and seeing how many more votes he needs, can spend 10 years building the case for candidacy before anyone votes at all.
3) A player like Jim Rice, who ticked off the writers, can have a longer cooling-off period (but, really, when it comes down to the media, they have long memories, and will hold the grudge no matter what).
4) With a player who is a lock for the Hall of Fame, the commissioner can step in and do something positive for the sport - waive the waiting period, or declare a 5-year waiting period, and that player can get in sooner.
I just thought I'd weigh in - it's rare that I can complain about something and offer some ideas to make it better. So I'm taking advantage of that opportunity.
AN E-MAIL: Thanks to Rob in New Jersey, who heard my desperate plea for e-mail and answered...in reference to my post last week about the Mangini cell phone ads:
"I was going to post a comment, but I didn't feel like taking the time to set up a log-in. Plus, I could tell you were jonesin' for an email to this address.
Re: Magini's Razr phone commercials... It also took me several viewing before I got the point.
Even though I agree with your take on the ads, allow me to pose an alternate theory: could it be that everyone in the city with a stake in Jets' outcomes or with things that cause angst is chucking his phone in frustration and they just end with Mangini showing his particular brand of frustration as a way of illustrating why the phones are turning up embedded in walls? In other words, could they be trying to make us think that Razrs are getting embedded in walls all over the place as people have things - Jets related or not - digust them? Hmmmm..."
If you want to meet someone who has obsessed over this longer and given it more thought than I, meet Rob. I think he's right - that's probably where all of the phones came from. It never seemed right that Mangini had about twenty phones and was chucking them into things all over Jersey. Thanks for making sense of that, Rob.
That said, I think we can all agree that if that is Belichick's voice at the end of the commercial (and the more I hear it now, the more I think it is), it's gotta be driving him nuts that he's tagging the end of a commercial starring Eric Mangini.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
A MATCH MADE IN (WINTER) HAVEN
I am going to try something entirely unorthodox next year, but it can't be worse than anything I've done until this point. My World Series prediction is going to be based on two random teams linked in the off-season.Sometimes I just get the impression the baseball gods are trying to give us a hint as to what's been pre-determined. Remember this past off-season, where all the talk was of an imminent trade between the Red Sox and Rockies? Todd Helton and Mike Lowell were the major players involved. The trade never happened, obviously, although various reports had it as very, very close to taking place a number of times. Well, if I had told you then that the Red Sox and Rockies would be their respective league's representatives in this year's World Series, I'd be considered a genius, no?
This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened - that's how I know it's worth trying out. The trick is to pick the right relationship - because if you had said in January that the Reds would be playing the Athletics in the World Series based on the Kirk Saarloos-David Shafer trade, I'd think your reasoning was full of holes. But if you had recognized this pattern in late 1985, after the Mets and Red Sox swapped some players (the key names being Bobby Ojeda and Calvin Schiraldi), you would have guessed correctly the participants in the 1986 World Series.
Sometimes you have to look very closely. Following the 2000 season, Buck Showalter was fired by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The fact was mentioned back then that the last time he was fired by a team, they won the World Series. That team was the New York Yankees. Your 2001 World Series? That's right - Yankees-Diamondbacks.
I'm not saying this is seal-tight, bet-the-house, guaranteed victory. I'm just saying it's worth a shot. So when the Mets pick up a kid in a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in late November, you'd better believe I'm forming a relationship between those two teams in my mind...and I just might take a closer look at those two teams when my spring training World Series picks roll around.
PEACE IN THE HOUSE SPONSORED BY DIRECTV: The Wife brought up a point the other day that hadn't really crossed my mind - it's a good thing the Mets didn't make the playoffs because if they advanced to the World Series, they'd be playing the Red Sox. And then this wouldn't be a very pleasant place. And she's right.
I hadn't really thought about that, though, because my mind was on other things: Like, I'm kind of glad the Mets didn't advance to the World Series (let alone the playoffs), because if the Mets ended up in the World Series with the Red Sox, that would be another wasted year on the ol' matchups chart. At least one good thing came out of this 2007 season - another box off the grid.
GAME ONE: Two things about Game 1 of the World Series - I can't imagine a better setting for a World Series game than Fenway Park. They should just play every World Series game here, whether or not the Red Sox are involved.
The second is, if Josh Beckett pitches well again in Game 1 of the World Series, start shining up his Hall of Fame plaque. He has at least two more starts in the post-season as of this writing, and if he continues to do what he's done to this point, he is in the conversation of "Best Post-Season Pitchers of All-Time". We'll revisit this, perhaps, as the season ends and we head into the off-season.
Friday, October 12, 2007
MORE FORMER METS
I forgot to include a group that was the whole reason I wanted to write the "Former Mets involved in the League Championships" entry - coaches and managers. Clint Hurdle, specifically.
The Rockies manager is one of a few people coaching teams still alive in the playoffs who used to play on the Mets...and seeing him during the Division Series reminded me to write about them. Hurdle only played for the Mets in three seasons - but I remember him very well. Very strange. He's just one of those guys who stands out in my memory...probably because he falls into the "Barry Lyons" category - guys who backed up Hall of Famer Gary Carter with the Mets.
Anyway, joining Hurdle are a couple of others:
Dave Magadan, Boston Red Sox Hitting Coach: Magadan was a sweet-swinging first and third baseman with the Mets. Nephew of Lou Piniella. Started at first base the night the Mets clinched the 1986 National League East title, only to be lifted in the ninth inning for a flu-ridden Keith Hernandez, who got to be on the field for the celebration.
Bob Apodaca, Colorado Rockies Pitching Coach: Apodaca pitched for the Mets in the 1970's, and was the Mets' pitching coach in the late '90's, when the Mets had some success.
Worth noting: The Arizona Diamondbacks' coaches under Bob Melvin are almost all guys who have played not too long ago. It used to be that my dad would tell me about the days when the coaches played...now I'm reminding him about the careers these guys had. I guess that's one way to tell that I'm getting old. Another is looking at some of the birth dates of the players.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Vote in the new poll at the right - Who do you think will win the World Series this year?
The Rockies manager is one of a few people coaching teams still alive in the playoffs who used to play on the Mets...and seeing him during the Division Series reminded me to write about them. Hurdle only played for the Mets in three seasons - but I remember him very well. Very strange. He's just one of those guys who stands out in my memory...probably because he falls into the "Barry Lyons" category - guys who backed up Hall of Famer Gary Carter with the Mets.
Anyway, joining Hurdle are a couple of others:
Dave Magadan, Boston Red Sox Hitting Coach: Magadan was a sweet-swinging first and third baseman with the Mets. Nephew of Lou Piniella. Started at first base the night the Mets clinched the 1986 National League East title, only to be lifted in the ninth inning for a flu-ridden Keith Hernandez, who got to be on the field for the celebration.
Bob Apodaca, Colorado Rockies Pitching Coach: Apodaca pitched for the Mets in the 1970's, and was the Mets' pitching coach in the late '90's, when the Mets had some success.
Worth noting: The Arizona Diamondbacks' coaches under Bob Melvin are almost all guys who have played not too long ago. It used to be that my dad would tell me about the days when the coaches played...now I'm reminding him about the careers these guys had. I guess that's one way to tell that I'm getting old. Another is looking at some of the birth dates of the players.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Vote in the new poll at the right - Who do you think will win the World Series this year?
Thursday, August 02, 2007
CINCINNATI: GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK
Note: A temporary malfunction with the digital camera forced me to buy an overpriced disposable camera for the Cincinnati game. The flash was brutal, and not a lot of these pictures came out too well. Also, the CVS where I had the film developed does not have the capability to do a photo CD, so I had to scan the pictures. Therefore, there are not many....and the good ones didn't even come out. The above picture is not mine. I took one just like it, where the flash must have failed me. But it was a beautiful picture, of that I'm sure. Johnnymets.blogspot.com apologizes for any inconveniences this situation may have caused.
Whereas Jacobs Field is all business (you go to see a baseball game), Great American Ballpark is an experience (you go, and if you have time, sit in your seat and take in the baseball game). The park itself is beautiful, sitting right on the water. And I didn't realize this, but across the river is Kentucky, and The Wife and I actually stayed in Kentucky for our trip to Cincinnati.
I can't quite put my finger on why I love traveling to these ballparks so much...but there are a couple of conclusions I've drawn, and it could be one of these or a combination of them. 1) I'm crazy. 2) I like the new ballparks and the architecture involved. 3) I like using them as an excuse to see different cities and the rest of the country. So many of these ballparks/stadiums are the centerpieces of their cities, and I think 4) the biggest thrill for me is driving into a new city and seeing the skyline, with the beautiful ballparks in the middle. This wasn't so much the case in Cleveland, at least the direction we drove, with Jacobs Field - we drove straight towards the Browns stadium, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But when we drove into Cincinnati, and there were Great American Ballpark and the Bengals stadium, I loved it. It's a wonder we make it through these trips without me crashing the car.
We got to the ballpark early, and I had the chance to walk all around and explore (unlike Cleveland, the gates were opened an hour and a half before the game...for some reason Jacobs Field only opened at 6 for a 7:05 start). This was Frank Robinson bobblehead night, so we got our bobbleheads...but upon arriving home, discovered one was not a bobblehead at all - it was a severedhead. (As you can see in this poor photograph.) I'm considering writing the Reds a letter.Part of my problem with PNC Park in Pittsburgh was I felt like the Pirates had a lot of history that wasn't captured in their new park. That was not a problem in Cincinnati. The Reds have a Hall of Fame right outside the ballpark (you can access it from the street or from the ballpark), and I think ticketholders get in free on the night of a game. We checked it out without actually going in - it looks great. They had a feature on Pete Rose (who was actually at the same game as us, I discovered later), and they have all the pennants the Reds have accumulated over the years. In the concourses, there are bigger-than-poster-sized newspaper headlines from Reds history hanging from the ceiling.
The concourses are gigantic. They're closed right behind home plate, open everywhere else. And they're divided. So behind a wall, down in right field, behind where we were sitting, there was a sort of playground and all kinds of activities for kids, like running to first and getting timed, and seeing how fast you can throw a ball. There's also a stage where they have live music leading up to game time.
Out in center field, there is a deck that looks like the deck of a ship. My investigative journalism (I asked the teenager taking tickets) revealed that the deck was exclusive to Cincinnati Bell employees. I don't know if he meant only that night, or if that is always the case - but that would stink if you could only get into that area if you worked for the phone company. Although, I guess our seats were better, not sitting there.The food, like Jacobs Field, was nothing to shout about - notably, though, the Reds don't have souvenir cups at the drink stands. The seats, to be honest, weren't the most roomy things I've ever sat in either. And one more complaint - from our seats, when the sun was setting, the glare off the scoreboard in left was so bad you couldn't read any statistics at all.
And this is worth saying: One of the neatest things about these ballparks is how nice everyone is who works there. It's like they go through these training sessions where they make the people who work at the stadiums be nice to everyone who walks through the turnstiles (the nicest people by far were the people in San Diego...but why wouldn't they be nice? They live in San Diego.). And don't get me wrong - most of the people in Great American Ballpark were very nice - the souvenir stand girls who directed me to the 4th floor to get a ripoff of a disposable camera saved my night from feeling like it was ruined. But when we got to the fourth floor, and took some pictures from the upper deck, and asked one of the ushers if he would take our picture, we met our first not-nice person of our stadium trips.
He was standing off to the side, watching these tourists (us) take pictures with their crappy disposable camera. If you could read his mind, I'm sure he would be saying, "These people BETTER not ask me to take their picture." But we did. And he said, "I'm not a very good picture-taker." I gave him the camera anyway, and we stood and smiled. He goes, "What am I supposed to do? Press this button here?" Now, keep in mind, this wasn't one of them new-fangled digital cameras. It was a crappy green disposable camera. There's only that one button. "Yes, sir, press that button." Now, truth be told, he didn't take a bad picture - the flash failed him like it failed me (although I took note that his finger was in front of the flash...and made sure the girls behind us at our seats took another safety picture). But I guess the Reds knew what they were doing when they put this guy on the fourth floor...much less populated up there...and he was definitely not a people person.
Finally, the other attraction of the game - I guess occasionally the Reds have a former Red come and sign autographs before the game. This night it was ex-Met George Foster. I walked by him when I was exploring the park, and seriously considered stopping to take a picture. I didn't. I wanted to tell him that he was the guy who set the example from which I learned about people getting fired. But I didn't. Maybe if The Wife and Baby were walking with me I would have stopped...but I was alone, and didn't have the gumption. I felt like he might not like me. I'll say this about George, though - he looked almost exactly as he did in his playing days - which means he was a powerful, compact man. That guy on the left hit 52 homers in a season back in 1977. That's some kind of strong.Incidentally, in the game, the Reds beat the Brewers. The Baby handled this game much better, and we stayed until the game slowed considerably after six innings.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
CLEVELAND: JACOBS FIELD
I had no idea what Jacobs Field looked like. Sure, I've watched plenty of Indians games, and I've seen the big wall in left (an ode to Fenway, if I remember correctly when it was built), but I didn't really know many details about the park, other than the fact that it was one of the beautiful new ones. I was very surprised how the park looked from the outside - but in a good way - the park is indeed one of the prettier parks in the majors.What I like best about Jacobs Field is that it is original. Yes, they took parts of older stadiums and incorporated them into their look, but along with Camden Yards, Jacobs Field was among the first of the "new" ballparks, so much of what it looks like is an inspiration to other new parks...not inspired by them. The thing I was most shocked by was Jacobs Field from the outside - it has a very unique look. Remember last year when I was confused by the shell-like exterior of Petco Park (where the Mets go)? I thought it looked nothing like a baseball stadium...well, it does. It looks like Jacobs Field. (Note the outside walls in the pictures below - it's kind of tough to see in the Cleveland picture, but I think you get the point.)
As I've mentioned before, The Wife planned this trip, and we had an excellent hotel - right in downtown Cleveland. The view from the window:
You can see Jacobs Field on the left above that parking garage...and that's Quicken Loans Arena on the right. I have no idea how they handle the crowds when the Cavaliers and Indians play the same night - it must be insane. I wonder if the Indians were home any nights when there was an NBA Finals game. The city must have been jam-packed. Funny thing is I took this picture on a Sunday, when downtown Cleveland had nothing going on. Note the empty parking lot. The next morning, the parking lots were jammed, and the parking garage on the left was packed, with people going to work.
Anyway, we walked to the game, which is always a nice experience. If you take the path to the left of the parking lot in the picture above (obscured by the trees), you get the view of the ballpark at right, entering the gate above the left field wall. This picture was taken as we were heading home - in the fifth inning - The Baby didn't take too well to the game. We had great seats - 11 rows back, sitting down the left field line...but unfortunately we were surrounded by Red Sox fans. This wouldn't have been a problem, except the Sox scored four runs before an out was recorded, and this created a high level of excitement and volume in our area, making The Baby a little upset. So I spent an inning in the seats, and the remainder of our time at the game walking around, mostly hanging out down the left field line by the foul pole in the standing room section. We left after Jon Lester (in his return) pitched out of a bases loaded jam.
Also as a result, I didn't get a chance to explore the entire ballpark. I never made it down the right field line. But from what I saw, there weren't very many extras at Jacobs Field. It isn't as much of an attraction (as you'll see later in the week with Cincinnati) as it is a ballpark - and I'm quite all right with that. It's a really beautiful park. The food was just OK - but I didn't get too adventurous - a hot dog and a sausage late in the game. The Wife and I split a souvenir drink. The coolest non-baseball part of the park is what you see at left, which was above and behind our seats - a really well-placed restaurant. In Arizona the restaurant is out in left field, in fair territory - I like where this one is better.
As for the field, I love the wall in left, and the Indians have a great scoreboard behind the left field wall. As a fan, the seats were comfortable, and our seats down the left field line didn't necessarily point us towards home plate, but they weren't at all uncomfortable. The concourses were open down the lines, closed between third and first behind the plate...but there were TV's by the concession stands - including a huge screen behind third base by a picnic area. I mentioned above The Wife and I had a souvenir drink - on the cup was Grady Sizemore and his stats - and his birthdate. 8/02/82. Pretty cool.
For what it's worth - the Indians play some great music as they introduce their lineup - it's the best I've heard for a home team...and it's a looped intro to some song, I just don't know which one. Good choice, whatever it is.
Overall, a trip worth taking. I would not recommend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if you're taking a trip to Cleveland (too much stuff in too small of an area), but definitely make sure you check out Jacobs Field.
REMEMBERING BILL ROBINSON: Lost in the attention given to the death of Bill Walsh (attention which he deserved, incidentally) is the fact that Bill Robinson passed away on Sunday. Robinson was the Mets' hitting coach for most of the 80's, including the 1986 season. I'm reading reports that he invented one of the Mets' handshakes that year - the "Low Two", opposite of a high five. As a player he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 70's. He was a good player, with good numbers, but by all accounts Bill Robinson was a great person. And at age 64, he passed away way too young.
TRADE REACTION: Not much to react to. The Mark Teixeira deal became official, and I'll just say this: The Braves have been scoring runs. In their 8 wins since the All Star break, they've scored 4 runs once, 5 runs 3 times, then 7, 10, 14, and 10 runs. The problem is they've lost 9 games, where they didn't score as many runs. My point is, they've been capable of putting some runs on the board, I don't know that Teixeira makes a huge impact, which I mentioned yesterday.
The Phillies added Kyle Lohse. I think that just makes them even more beatable.
The Red Sox have a pretty formidable bullpen with the addition of Eric Gagne. They certainly gave up a lot for him, though, in Kason Gabbard, David Murphy, and this 16-year-old prospect who is supposed to be very good.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
WHILE I WAS SLEEPING...
With the Mets out west, and no game observations by me to write about (two out of three against the Padres with a win Wednesday night would be pretty good for the Mets), here are a couple of housecleaning issues:
WORK LIFE: So I'm trying out a new website - ArmchairGM. It's pretty good - I recommend you go over and check it out. I've written a couple of articles already...and it's pretty much run by and for fans. Anyone can sign up and write/comment on each other's articles. There also seems to be a fan-created/added-to encyclopedia. There's a ton of stuff there. I used my usual method as a measuring stick as to quality of a piece of sports work - the 1986 World Series...and Game 6 in particular. Someone put together a comprehensive summary of the entire series...and a very thorough summary of Game 6. So it passes my test. It also is another place to find my writing...which I guess passes another test of mine.
LIFE AT HOME: What do Harry Potter, Sudoku, and Johnnymets all have in common? They're all things that The Wife thought to be extremely silly until she gave them a fair shot and realized there was true potential behind each...and soon became obsessions of hers. (Especially Johnnymets.) Well, I'm working really hard at adding "Flight of the Conchords" to that list...but it's been a struggle. I get a good laugh at the show - I realize it's not the funniest thing ever - but I really enjoy it...and I want her to appreciate it as well. It's a slow go - I want her to give it at least three episodes. We'll see.
LIFE ON THE ROAD: The Wife, The Baby, and I are about to take off on our stadium trip for the year. We'll be hitting Cleveland and Cincinnati, and we leave on Saturday. I'll probably post until then...but there's a chance with the packing of everything for the car trip I'll be caught up in other things. There's also a chance that I'll be able to post from the hotels on the road - Please check back all next week to see if there are postings. There will definitely be recaps of the trip and the stadiums when I'm back next week.
WORK LIFE: So I'm trying out a new website - ArmchairGM. It's pretty good - I recommend you go over and check it out. I've written a couple of articles already...and it's pretty much run by and for fans. Anyone can sign up and write/comment on each other's articles. There also seems to be a fan-created/added-to encyclopedia. There's a ton of stuff there. I used my usual method as a measuring stick as to quality of a piece of sports work - the 1986 World Series...and Game 6 in particular. Someone put together a comprehensive summary of the entire series...and a very thorough summary of Game 6. So it passes my test. It also is another place to find my writing...which I guess passes another test of mine.
LIFE AT HOME: What do Harry Potter, Sudoku, and Johnnymets all have in common? They're all things that The Wife thought to be extremely silly until she gave them a fair shot and realized there was true potential behind each...and soon became obsessions of hers. (Especially Johnnymets.) Well, I'm working really hard at adding "Flight of the Conchords" to that list...but it's been a struggle. I get a good laugh at the show - I realize it's not the funniest thing ever - but I really enjoy it...and I want her to appreciate it as well. It's a slow go - I want her to give it at least three episodes. We'll see.
LIFE ON THE ROAD: The Wife, The Baby, and I are about to take off on our stadium trip for the year. We'll be hitting Cleveland and Cincinnati, and we leave on Saturday. I'll probably post until then...but there's a chance with the packing of everything for the car trip I'll be caught up in other things. There's also a chance that I'll be able to post from the hotels on the road - Please check back all next week to see if there are postings. There will definitely be recaps of the trip and the stadiums when I'm back next week.
Friday, July 13, 2007
FRIDAY THE 13TH
There's really nothing to be afraid of, if you're a Mets fan, on a day like Friday the 13th. Superstition doesn't usually work against the Mets, usually it works in their favor.Case in point, the picture at the left, where the cursed Cubs began a tailspin from their perch atop the NL East in 1969, and the Miracle Mets overtook them, though they were as far back as 9-and-a-half games in August. The reason for the Cubs fall? The black cat, which ran out onto the field at Shea Stadium, and crossed the Cubs' path, circling Ron Santo.
Another instance would be the fact that even though the Mets were down to their last strike against the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, facing elimination, they were still able to come back and win the game, and the series.
Now, none of this happened on a Friday the 13th - but they're evidence that when it comes to superstition, don't mess with the Mets.
That's a big heads-up for the Mets' opponent on Friday the 13th, the Cincinnati Reds...right now the Reds have a 7-1 lead on the Mets...but it's still early. And it's Friday the 13th...unluckily for Cincinnati.
COMMENT ON THE COMMENTS: An anonymous comment, but a thoughtful and well-written one, has appeared on my post about Erik Bedard from a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to anonymous for reading, and contributing. But please don't be anonymous - throw your name on there...or an alias or something. Since you chose to be anonymous, though, and you wrote that you are also a fan of Erik Bedard, you leave me no choice but to assume that you were indeed Erik Bedard. So thanks for reading, and posting a comment Erik! Hope you come back and read some more.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
BOUND TO HAPPEN....
Braves 5, Mets 3 (NYM: 4-1, ATL: 4-1)
I knew the Mets weren't going to go 162-0, but I still wanted to see just how long they could stretch the season-opening win streak. I guess it was just four games. But the Mets were done in by one of the things that keyed them to their 4 straight wins - their defense.
The Mets looked all set after the top of the first, after jumping out to another 1-0 lead - this one from an unlikely source: a homer by Paul Lo Duca. Tom Glavine gave it right back, though, and you could tell by the way he was working that career win number 292 was not going to come easy - of course, it didn't come at all.
The Braves' first started with an innocent grounder to second, which turned into their first baserunner when Carlos Delgado dropped the throw from Jose Valentin. Kelly Johnson then came around to score on a grounder to short. Matt Diaz homered in the second to give the Braves the 2-1 lead, and the Mets their first deficit of the season.
In the fifth, the Mets did their manufacturing run thing, after a leadoff walk by Jose Reyes. He stole second, went to third on a grounder to second by Lo Duca, and then scored on a single by Carlos Beltran. The Mets knocked around John Smoltz, but he seemed to get the outs when he needed to.
Unfortunately for Glavine, the outs couldn't come because of his defense. After no errors in 4 games, the Mets committed two on Saturday. In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Shawn Green dropped a Matt Diaz fly ball that allowed one run to score. The next batter, Woodward, flew out to right off Pedro Feliciano, and Green made a nice running catch, but the ball was deep enough to score a run to make it 4-2. Then Joe Smith came on and got a groundball, but it was too slow for Reyes to make a play, so the Braves took a 5-2 lead. All 5 runs were charged to Glavine, but only two were earned.
The much-improved Braves bullpen held the Mets to one run the rest of the way, though the Mets did threaten Bob Wickman in the ninth. Trailing 5-3, Carlos Delgado walked, and David Wright singled (extending his hitting streak on an otherwise horrid day - 3 strikeouts against Smoltz). With two outs and runners on second and third, Green lined one towards right field, but the ball was snared by Craig Wilson at first. A tough way to end the game, but it showed the Mets still have that ability to come back late in games, and you still get the sense that they're never out of a game.
CHICK-FIL-A JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: No one really stood out in this one, so we'll go with Matt Diaz, who had a homer and lifted the fly ball that Shawn Green dropped. At least he put it in play, and you have to give him some credit for that - chances are the then-go-ahead run would have scored anyway. Diaz finished 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a run scored.
NOTES ON THE GAME: The Braves have no true leadoff hitter, now that Rafael Furcal is gone. They also have no true second baseman. Kelly Johnson is playing second and leading off, but I also noticed this on Friday night, when Chris Woodward was the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. That's a step back from Furcal, and Marcus Giles at second.
ALSO THE WAY I FEEL: Tim Kurkjian was guest host on Mike & Mike In The Morning the other day (I think it was Thursday), and the subject of the DirecTV/other cable providers Extra Innings packages came up. (An aside: I find the Mike & Mike show to be much more tolerable when someone like Kurkjian or Buster Olney is on for the entire show rather than the regular Mikes...but that's another story for another day.) Kurkjian said he has DirecTV, and the day he got it, he says, "was, other than the days my kids were born, the greatest day of my life." So, he said, it wouldn't be right for other people to not have the opportunity to get the package. I agree.
SNY 2007: Friday night was my first chance to see a Mets game on SNY. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez were in the booth, and were very good (for the amount I saw before I fell asleep). A couple of notables:
-Slightly newer, snazzier graphics.
-Good ads - one, a tribute to Ron Darling for being named best New York sports analyst (I think, I was a little fuzzy on the award). The other was hilarious - it was a cartoon of Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez sitting on the couch watching the game, and Hernandez keeps saying, "I sound great. Wow, I'm doing a great job." And Darling and Cohen end up taking off Hernandez's mustache, and the announcer says, "Watch the Mets with Gary, Ron, Keith, and Keith's mustache." Good stuff. I hope there are different commercials like that each week. Hilarious.
-Also, forgot to mention this, so might as well here - Lee Mazzilli is the new studio analyst this year. I haven't seen enough of his work to comment yet.
1986 ROUNDUP: I don't remember seeing him all last year on camera, but Roger McDowell is still the Atlanta Braves' pitching coach. They showed him on Friday night, and either Keith or Ron said, "Roger smiled a lot more as a player." I thought that was funny.
MORE BROADCASTING: Caught the Reds' games over the weekend, and Grande was doing the games. Wonder what kind of a rotation they have going there. I'll have to keep an eye on that.
A WORD ON THE WEATHER: This year is more extreme than most, but I feel like every year there's a hubbub about the season-opening weather, and moving all of the openers to warm weather cities. Now, I don't know that that's a foolproof option - I hear there's a chance of snow in Arlington, Texas, for the Red Sox game Saturday night, which is surprising to me, but I feel like this is always a controversy in April every year, and then it dies down and is forgotten. I do feel, however, that this year has been extreme, as I mentioned above, extreme not only in weather, but also in outcry over the weather. And I think there will be some fallout - especially since Cleveland and Seattle are losing a game because of the weather, and because Victor Martinez got hurt in the bad weather, AND because of the controversy on Friday surrounding the weather and the way the game was called off. I don't know how much fallout, but I feel like the situation won't die away so easily, and maybe there will be some change next year.
BEAT THE STREAK: After no hits Friday by Xavier Nady and on Saturday with Derek Jeter, I'm going with as sure a thing as I can on Sunday, with the Cleveland doubleheader. I'll take Grady Sizemore - all he needs is one hit in two games to get me started.
I knew the Mets weren't going to go 162-0, but I still wanted to see just how long they could stretch the season-opening win streak. I guess it was just four games. But the Mets were done in by one of the things that keyed them to their 4 straight wins - their defense.
The Mets looked all set after the top of the first, after jumping out to another 1-0 lead - this one from an unlikely source: a homer by Paul Lo Duca. Tom Glavine gave it right back, though, and you could tell by the way he was working that career win number 292 was not going to come easy - of course, it didn't come at all.
The Braves' first started with an innocent grounder to second, which turned into their first baserunner when Carlos Delgado dropped the throw from Jose Valentin. Kelly Johnson then came around to score on a grounder to short. Matt Diaz homered in the second to give the Braves the 2-1 lead, and the Mets their first deficit of the season.
In the fifth, the Mets did their manufacturing run thing, after a leadoff walk by Jose Reyes. He stole second, went to third on a grounder to second by Lo Duca, and then scored on a single by Carlos Beltran. The Mets knocked around John Smoltz, but he seemed to get the outs when he needed to.
Unfortunately for Glavine, the outs couldn't come because of his defense. After no errors in 4 games, the Mets committed two on Saturday. In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Shawn Green dropped a Matt Diaz fly ball that allowed one run to score. The next batter, Woodward, flew out to right off Pedro Feliciano, and Green made a nice running catch, but the ball was deep enough to score a run to make it 4-2. Then Joe Smith came on and got a groundball, but it was too slow for Reyes to make a play, so the Braves took a 5-2 lead. All 5 runs were charged to Glavine, but only two were earned.
The much-improved Braves bullpen held the Mets to one run the rest of the way, though the Mets did threaten Bob Wickman in the ninth. Trailing 5-3, Carlos Delgado walked, and David Wright singled (extending his hitting streak on an otherwise horrid day - 3 strikeouts against Smoltz). With two outs and runners on second and third, Green lined one towards right field, but the ball was snared by Craig Wilson at first. A tough way to end the game, but it showed the Mets still have that ability to come back late in games, and you still get the sense that they're never out of a game.
CHICK-FIL-A JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: No one really stood out in this one, so we'll go with Matt Diaz, who had a homer and lifted the fly ball that Shawn Green dropped. At least he put it in play, and you have to give him some credit for that - chances are the then-go-ahead run would have scored anyway. Diaz finished 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a run scored.NOTES ON THE GAME: The Braves have no true leadoff hitter, now that Rafael Furcal is gone. They also have no true second baseman. Kelly Johnson is playing second and leading off, but I also noticed this on Friday night, when Chris Woodward was the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. That's a step back from Furcal, and Marcus Giles at second.
ALSO THE WAY I FEEL: Tim Kurkjian was guest host on Mike & Mike In The Morning the other day (I think it was Thursday), and the subject of the DirecTV/other cable providers Extra Innings packages came up. (An aside: I find the Mike & Mike show to be much more tolerable when someone like Kurkjian or Buster Olney is on for the entire show rather than the regular Mikes...but that's another story for another day.) Kurkjian said he has DirecTV, and the day he got it, he says, "was, other than the days my kids were born, the greatest day of my life." So, he said, it wouldn't be right for other people to not have the opportunity to get the package. I agree.
SNY 2007: Friday night was my first chance to see a Mets game on SNY. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez were in the booth, and were very good (for the amount I saw before I fell asleep). A couple of notables:
-Slightly newer, snazzier graphics.
-Good ads - one, a tribute to Ron Darling for being named best New York sports analyst (I think, I was a little fuzzy on the award). The other was hilarious - it was a cartoon of Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez sitting on the couch watching the game, and Hernandez keeps saying, "I sound great. Wow, I'm doing a great job." And Darling and Cohen end up taking off Hernandez's mustache, and the announcer says, "Watch the Mets with Gary, Ron, Keith, and Keith's mustache." Good stuff. I hope there are different commercials like that each week. Hilarious.
-Also, forgot to mention this, so might as well here - Lee Mazzilli is the new studio analyst this year. I haven't seen enough of his work to comment yet.
1986 ROUNDUP: I don't remember seeing him all last year on camera, but Roger McDowell is still the Atlanta Braves' pitching coach. They showed him on Friday night, and either Keith or Ron said, "Roger smiled a lot more as a player." I thought that was funny.
MORE BROADCASTING: Caught the Reds' games over the weekend, and Grande was doing the games. Wonder what kind of a rotation they have going there. I'll have to keep an eye on that.
A WORD ON THE WEATHER: This year is more extreme than most, but I feel like every year there's a hubbub about the season-opening weather, and moving all of the openers to warm weather cities. Now, I don't know that that's a foolproof option - I hear there's a chance of snow in Arlington, Texas, for the Red Sox game Saturday night, which is surprising to me, but I feel like this is always a controversy in April every year, and then it dies down and is forgotten. I do feel, however, that this year has been extreme, as I mentioned above, extreme not only in weather, but also in outcry over the weather. And I think there will be some fallout - especially since Cleveland and Seattle are losing a game because of the weather, and because Victor Martinez got hurt in the bad weather, AND because of the controversy on Friday surrounding the weather and the way the game was called off. I don't know how much fallout, but I feel like the situation won't die away so easily, and maybe there will be some change next year.
BEAT THE STREAK: After no hits Friday by Xavier Nady and on Saturday with Derek Jeter, I'm going with as sure a thing as I can on Sunday, with the Cleveland doubleheader. I'll take Grady Sizemore - all he needs is one hit in two games to get me started.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
EL DUQUE RINGS UP CARDS
Mets 4, Cardinals 1 (NYM: 2-0, STL: 0-2)
(Note: The 8 o'clock starts are late on school nights. Excuse this post if it's a bit disjointed - I'm writing parts before the game is over, so that I can finalize it when the game ends, publish, and go right to bed.)
The Cardinals handed out their championship rings before game 2 of the season, and the Mets soured another celebration in St. Louis with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hernandez pitched an outstanding game, and the Mets turned in some more solid defense, making their 4 runs stand up.
The Mets manufactured a run right out of the gates - after Jose Reyes drew a leadoff walk, he almost got picked off, but on the next pickoff throw, was able to advance to second on a wild throw by Kip Wells. So with Reyes at second, Paul Lo Duca laid down a bunt, and a Carlos Beltran fly ball to center brought Reyes home from third. That's what the Mets did all last year, jumping out to early leads.
In the fifth, Reyes again created another run - with 2 outs he singled, then stole second. Lo Duca lined one to right field, which was badly misplayed by Skip Schumaker (ruled an error), and Reyes scored to make it 2-0.
El Duque was great on the mound (see below), but also at the plate - he was 2-for-3, and picked up 2 RBI with the bases loaded in the sixth after an intentional walk to Jose Valentin (who wouldn't walk Valentin in that situation?). Hernandez grounded one down the third base line, and Valentin was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first, but it gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.
The Mets turned 3 more double plays Tuesday night, giving them 7 in two games. I tried to look up in the media guide if that's some sort of record, but I could only find double plays in a game - 5. Love that book, though.
The bullpen got a wee bit shaky in the eighth inning. Scott Schoeneweis got two straight outs before getting runners on first and third, with Albert Pujols coming up. So Aaron Heilman was brought in, and he got Pujols to fly to center. Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.
The Mets go for the season-opening sweep of the Cardinals on Wednesday with John Maine on the mound against none other than Braden Looper. That should be fun.
AUTOTRADER JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I hate to see this be the starting pitcher all the time - but the past two outings have deserved it. Hernandez went 7 innings, giving up one run (a solo homer to Scott Rolen), and walking just 2, giving up 5 hits. He didn't strike anyone out, but started two of the Mets' three double plays. He gave the Mets just the kind of start they're going to need from him all year - it's a nice way to get started. His big problem last year was consistency - one good start followed by a bad start, so now his next start looms large - string together a few like this, and the Mets are in great shape.
I've just decided that I'm going to keep a tally of the "Player of the Game" players that I award over the year. The winner will get a watch...or nothing. Most likely nothing.
NOTES: I've been reading some recaps of the Opening Night game between the Mets and Cardinals, and some people are writing that the Mets exacted revenge on the Cardinals for the NLCS by winning Sunday night. Uh....I don't think so. Those two don't quite equate.
The Cardinals gave their fans replica rings. Pretty neat. That's a giveaway I'd like, if it was for my team.
Also, the Cardinals are allowed to wear uniforms with gold trim around their names and numbers, because they are the champs. I actually like the way the unis look. I'm not sure if this is something new baseball is doing, or if it's something the Cardinals requested. I don't remember the Red Sox or White Sox having that option. It's a neat idea.
Finally, I watched this game on FSN Midwest, so I had Joe Buck. He got a World Series ring, because he's the Cardinals announcer. Seems to me that's some sort of conflict of interest.
LOOKING AHEAD: I was checking out the Mets' schedule. July looks particularly tough. There are 10 home games, and 16 road games. It looks more intimidating on the schedule than it sounds...but there are a couple of lengthy road trips.
Also schedule-related...there are only 20 off days all season, counting the days before and after the All Star Game. And that also counts Monday, and this Thursday, and next Tuesday. So 17 off days after a week from today. It seems like a lot more during the course of the season - each off day feels like 2 or 3 to me.
MASN NEWS: The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network airs both Nationals and Orioles games (there's a MASN2 this year - I'm pretty sure there wasn't last year), and there are broadcasting developments that I caught on Tuesday night. It sounds like Gary Thorne is now doing Orioles games, which is fantastic. I'm pretty positive it was Thorne, not seeing the booth at all, just hearing some audio. But you don't mistake Gary Thorne's voice. And the analyst on the Nationals' post-game show was 1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight. Didn't stick around long enough to see how he did...but it's nice to know where to find him.
BOOF: I was watching MASN2 because our old pal Boof Bonser was pitching for the Twins against the O's. He did well. Not sure we'll be following him here this year like we did last year. The secret's out - he's a good pitcher with a funny name. Also, I wasn't even smart enough to pick him up in my fantasy league - someone else grabbed him. Whoops. Some fan I am. (For the record, Bonser went 6 innings, striking out 6, and giving up 2 runs, getting a no decision in the Twins win.)
BEAT THE STREAK: Not sure how this snuck under my radar the past two days, but Vladimir Guerrero is playing against the Texas Rangers - that's an automatic Beat the Streak pick. They're an afternoon game on Wednesday, too, so I won't have to stay up late to see how he did...like tonight with Mike Piazza. So far, as I'm about to turn in, Piazza does not have a hit.
(Note: The 8 o'clock starts are late on school nights. Excuse this post if it's a bit disjointed - I'm writing parts before the game is over, so that I can finalize it when the game ends, publish, and go right to bed.)
The Cardinals handed out their championship rings before game 2 of the season, and the Mets soured another celebration in St. Louis with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hernandez pitched an outstanding game, and the Mets turned in some more solid defense, making their 4 runs stand up.
The Mets manufactured a run right out of the gates - after Jose Reyes drew a leadoff walk, he almost got picked off, but on the next pickoff throw, was able to advance to second on a wild throw by Kip Wells. So with Reyes at second, Paul Lo Duca laid down a bunt, and a Carlos Beltran fly ball to center brought Reyes home from third. That's what the Mets did all last year, jumping out to early leads.
In the fifth, Reyes again created another run - with 2 outs he singled, then stole second. Lo Duca lined one to right field, which was badly misplayed by Skip Schumaker (ruled an error), and Reyes scored to make it 2-0.
El Duque was great on the mound (see below), but also at the plate - he was 2-for-3, and picked up 2 RBI with the bases loaded in the sixth after an intentional walk to Jose Valentin (who wouldn't walk Valentin in that situation?). Hernandez grounded one down the third base line, and Valentin was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first, but it gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.
The Mets turned 3 more double plays Tuesday night, giving them 7 in two games. I tried to look up in the media guide if that's some sort of record, but I could only find double plays in a game - 5. Love that book, though.
The bullpen got a wee bit shaky in the eighth inning. Scott Schoeneweis got two straight outs before getting runners on first and third, with Albert Pujols coming up. So Aaron Heilman was brought in, and he got Pujols to fly to center. Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.
The Mets go for the season-opening sweep of the Cardinals on Wednesday with John Maine on the mound against none other than Braden Looper. That should be fun.
AUTOTRADER JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I hate to see this be the starting pitcher all the time - but the past two outings have deserved it. Hernandez went 7 innings, giving up one run (a solo homer to Scott Rolen), and walking just 2, giving up 5 hits. He didn't strike anyone out, but started two of the Mets' three double plays. He gave the Mets just the kind of start they're going to need from him all year - it's a nice way to get started. His big problem last year was consistency - one good start followed by a bad start, so now his next start looms large - string together a few like this, and the Mets are in great shape.I've just decided that I'm going to keep a tally of the "Player of the Game" players that I award over the year. The winner will get a watch...or nothing. Most likely nothing.
NOTES: I've been reading some recaps of the Opening Night game between the Mets and Cardinals, and some people are writing that the Mets exacted revenge on the Cardinals for the NLCS by winning Sunday night. Uh....I don't think so. Those two don't quite equate.
The Cardinals gave their fans replica rings. Pretty neat. That's a giveaway I'd like, if it was for my team.
Also, the Cardinals are allowed to wear uniforms with gold trim around their names and numbers, because they are the champs. I actually like the way the unis look. I'm not sure if this is something new baseball is doing, or if it's something the Cardinals requested. I don't remember the Red Sox or White Sox having that option. It's a neat idea.
Finally, I watched this game on FSN Midwest, so I had Joe Buck. He got a World Series ring, because he's the Cardinals announcer. Seems to me that's some sort of conflict of interest.
LOOKING AHEAD: I was checking out the Mets' schedule. July looks particularly tough. There are 10 home games, and 16 road games. It looks more intimidating on the schedule than it sounds...but there are a couple of lengthy road trips.
Also schedule-related...there are only 20 off days all season, counting the days before and after the All Star Game. And that also counts Monday, and this Thursday, and next Tuesday. So 17 off days after a week from today. It seems like a lot more during the course of the season - each off day feels like 2 or 3 to me.
MASN NEWS: The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network airs both Nationals and Orioles games (there's a MASN2 this year - I'm pretty sure there wasn't last year), and there are broadcasting developments that I caught on Tuesday night. It sounds like Gary Thorne is now doing Orioles games, which is fantastic. I'm pretty positive it was Thorne, not seeing the booth at all, just hearing some audio. But you don't mistake Gary Thorne's voice. And the analyst on the Nationals' post-game show was 1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight. Didn't stick around long enough to see how he did...but it's nice to know where to find him.
BOOF: I was watching MASN2 because our old pal Boof Bonser was pitching for the Twins against the O's. He did well. Not sure we'll be following him here this year like we did last year. The secret's out - he's a good pitcher with a funny name. Also, I wasn't even smart enough to pick him up in my fantasy league - someone else grabbed him. Whoops. Some fan I am. (For the record, Bonser went 6 innings, striking out 6, and giving up 2 runs, getting a no decision in the Twins win.)
BEAT THE STREAK: Not sure how this snuck under my radar the past two days, but Vladimir Guerrero is playing against the Texas Rangers - that's an automatic Beat the Streak pick. They're an afternoon game on Wednesday, too, so I won't have to stay up late to see how he did...like tonight with Mike Piazza. So far, as I'm about to turn in, Piazza does not have a hit.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
ODDS AND ENDS
Seeing as how I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to update will be (keep checking back - you never know when it'll be - it'll be a fun surprise!), a couple of the more time-sensitive issues that I've been meaning to get around to:
-From winter ball, some good news. Anderson Hernandez discovered his stroke. After hitting .246 in the minors last season, and .152 with the Mets, the second base prospect hit at a .287 clip during the winter ball season. He also hit .310 in 6 games of what I think is the equivalent of the winter ball post-season. We'll watch to see if he carries that type of hitting into spring training. I think that would be important because I'd much rather see Anderson Hernandez and his glove at second than Jose Valentin, who I don't feel so good about as the Mets' regular second baseman this year.
-The Mets did not tender a contract to Victor Zambrano back in December, making him a free agent. There were rumors the Mets would re-sign Zambrano at a later date, but he ended up signing with Toronto. That officially makes the Scott Kazmir trade a disaster (as though there were any doubt), and if Zambrano comes back strong from Tommy John surgery with the Blue Jays, look for lots more criticism headed Rick Peterson's way. I feel Peterson could be doing a better job for the Mets...at least, the Zambrano thing was a huge failure on his part.
-On the subject of Peterson, he was one of seven coaches the Mets locked up under contract this off-season. Peterson got a three-year deal, third base coach Sandy Alomar, bullpen coach Guy Conti, hitting coach Rick Down, and bench coach Jerry Manuel all got two-year extensions, and newcomers Howard Johnson (first base coach) and Tom Nieto (catching instructor) got one-and-two-year deals, respectively.
HoJo beat out Gary Carter (among others) for the first base coaching job. Remember, Manny Acta has left the staff to be the Nationals' manager.
-Finally, another Blue Jays connection: John Thomson also signed with the Blue Jays, after receiving overtures from the Mets as another possible arm for the pitching staff. And after he turned down the Mets because he didn't want to pitch to Paul LoDuca or for a team with Cliff Floyd in the outfield. Wow. Talk about taking shots. I don't remember LoDuca having a response to that, a little surprising, since he can be a hothead.
Floyd, though, shot back, saying from Cubs camp last week, "From what I've seen, he's not one of the greatest pitchers in the game. It didn't really affect me in terms of my pride....People who talk a lot seem to always be on the short end of the stick. I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully, his luck can change in Toronto because it didn't change in the National League." Nice job, Cliff. Well said.
Thomson did make 9 starts for the Mets, incidentally, in 2002, going 2-6 with a 4.31 ERA.
FLASHBACK: I've mentioned many times how my mom is cleaning out lots of my old stuff as my parents renovate their house. Recently, I got a bunch of stuff, and I just went through some of it today. Among the books were a few years' worth of the old Topps Sticker Yearbooks. I remember my brother and I competing over stickers to fill every page. Fun stuff. Surprisingly, the price was just 35 cents. And I was going through the 1987 edition, and came across the 1986 World Series page. Thought it was a good excuse to use the new scanner at the House sponsored by DirecTV. So here it is:
-From winter ball, some good news. Anderson Hernandez discovered his stroke. After hitting .246 in the minors last season, and .152 with the Mets, the second base prospect hit at a .287 clip during the winter ball season. He also hit .310 in 6 games of what I think is the equivalent of the winter ball post-season. We'll watch to see if he carries that type of hitting into spring training. I think that would be important because I'd much rather see Anderson Hernandez and his glove at second than Jose Valentin, who I don't feel so good about as the Mets' regular second baseman this year.
-The Mets did not tender a contract to Victor Zambrano back in December, making him a free agent. There were rumors the Mets would re-sign Zambrano at a later date, but he ended up signing with Toronto. That officially makes the Scott Kazmir trade a disaster (as though there were any doubt), and if Zambrano comes back strong from Tommy John surgery with the Blue Jays, look for lots more criticism headed Rick Peterson's way. I feel Peterson could be doing a better job for the Mets...at least, the Zambrano thing was a huge failure on his part.
-On the subject of Peterson, he was one of seven coaches the Mets locked up under contract this off-season. Peterson got a three-year deal, third base coach Sandy Alomar, bullpen coach Guy Conti, hitting coach Rick Down, and bench coach Jerry Manuel all got two-year extensions, and newcomers Howard Johnson (first base coach) and Tom Nieto (catching instructor) got one-and-two-year deals, respectively.
HoJo beat out Gary Carter (among others) for the first base coaching job. Remember, Manny Acta has left the staff to be the Nationals' manager.
-Finally, another Blue Jays connection: John Thomson also signed with the Blue Jays, after receiving overtures from the Mets as another possible arm for the pitching staff. And after he turned down the Mets because he didn't want to pitch to Paul LoDuca or for a team with Cliff Floyd in the outfield. Wow. Talk about taking shots. I don't remember LoDuca having a response to that, a little surprising, since he can be a hothead.
Floyd, though, shot back, saying from Cubs camp last week, "From what I've seen, he's not one of the greatest pitchers in the game. It didn't really affect me in terms of my pride....People who talk a lot seem to always be on the short end of the stick. I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully, his luck can change in Toronto because it didn't change in the National League." Nice job, Cliff. Well said.
Thomson did make 9 starts for the Mets, incidentally, in 2002, going 2-6 with a 4.31 ERA.
FLASHBACK: I've mentioned many times how my mom is cleaning out lots of my old stuff as my parents renovate their house. Recently, I got a bunch of stuff, and I just went through some of it today. Among the books were a few years' worth of the old Topps Sticker Yearbooks. I remember my brother and I competing over stickers to fill every page. Fun stuff. Surprisingly, the price was just 35 cents. And I was going through the 1987 edition, and came across the 1986 World Series page. Thought it was a good excuse to use the new scanner at the House sponsored by DirecTV. So here it is:
Monday, October 09, 2006
WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY, DAY 3
Word has it the Mets have Darryl Strawberry throwing out the first pitch before Wednesday night's Game 1. Good. The Mets need to pound people over the head with that 1986 championship these next few weeks. They can even break out some 2000 NL Champs against the Cardinals, for all I care. Don't think the Tigers won't be doing that with their 1984 folks. Play it up, Mets. Play it up.Thought I'd revisit my pre-season picks, as we wait for the NLCS to get underway, and as we have a pretty clear picture of who will win what (the comeback players have already been named). I'll print what I wrote earlier in the year in italics - the playoff picks are from March, and the player award picks are from April 2 or so:
I totally blew the American League. I thought the Yankees would miss the post-season, the Indians would continue with last year's success (as would Chicago), and I debated a long time about who would win the West, and finally went with the Angels over the A's. Oops. In the NL, I got 3 of the 4 teams right, but I thought the Dodgers would dominate the West, and I was wrong about that. I also didn't think the Braves would fall so fast, although I did have them as the wild card to the division champ Mets.
NL Cy Young Award: I'm going with Tim Hudson, although I think Derek Lowe will get a few votes here (I expect a big season from him in L.A.).
Brutal year for Hudson. Lowe actually tied for the league lead in wins, after a slow start, but a bad year all around for National League pitchers. Who will win - maybe Brandon Webb?
AL Cy Young Award: Barry Zito. (Like I said, before their games on Monday...and he can't do any worse.)
I wrote that disclaimer in parentheses because in his first start of the season Zito got rocked. Zito had a good year, but Johan Santana will win this award.
NL MVP: Pretty generic, but I think it'll be Albert Pujols. I can't think of anyone else who will be that valuable to their team - I pick the Mets to do really well, but I don't think they're going to have that MVP-type standout guy. Everyone will contribute.
I was pretty right about the Mets not having the MVP-type, and I'll probably be right about Pujols - he'll probably edge out Ryan Howard.
AL MVP: I think David Ortiz gets his due this year. He keeps getting better.
I thought right - he's gotten his dues. But I think Derek Jeter deserves the MVP this year.
NL Manager of the Year: Willie Randolph will get recognized for unseating the Braves, edging out Grady Little.
Randolph would have won this year if Joe Girardi hadn't had such a successful season with the Marlins. But maybe Randolph does win becasue of the Mets' success. I was very high on the Dodgers this year, which is why I mentioned Little.
AL Manager of the Year: Might be Eric Wedge, because Guillen won it last year.
I was also high on the Indians. I'm guessing AL Manager of the Year is Jim Leyland.
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Nomar Garciaparra (if he ever gets off the DL).
Ding! Nailed it.
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Mike Lowell. I'm not sure if they even break up the Comeback Player award into AL and NL anymore, but if they do, these are my picks. If it's a Major League Comeback Player of the Year award, I'll go with Lowell, since he's a crossover between leagues anyway.
Jim Thome won the award, but I was right about Lowell having a big bounceback year.
NL Rookie of the Year: I'm not too familiar with the rookies this year, so I'm going to go with what I know, and say Brian Bannister, if he sticks around all year in the rotation and picks up 10+ wins.
I'm still not too familiar with the NL rookies. For a while it looked like the Dodgers' Ethier, but I think he fell out of the race. I'll say Ryan Zimmerman, I guess, of the Nationals.
AL Rookie of the Year: Whichever pitcher has a bigger impact on the Red Sox' staff - Jonathan Papelbon, or Craig Hansen.
I think I might have gotten this one right - Papelbon was dominant until he got hurt, and I think everyone realized how good he was.
MORE COMMENTS: Finally today, the Southern Bureau commented on the Red Sox/Yankees controversy - and check out the link he posted. I saw a Mets souvenir stand in a background shot of one of their Division Series games, and they had one of those "got postseason" shirts - I really hope the back didn't have "RIP Braves". But there's nothing wrong with taking "a little joy" out of the Yankees losing, Southern Bureau - it's when it becomes obsessive that I have a problem with it.
At least we can all agree on one thing - Dan Shaughnessy is an idiot.
Back to baseball Wednesday night - as long as I can, I'll be doing post-game updates.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
I wanted to take advantage of the Mets' off-day Monday to write a little more about the current situation, with Tom Glavine out and tests pending, and where the Mets go from here.
First off, I feel like I need to say that when I mentioned about a month ago that Glavine needed to come up with a mysterious injury that would land him on the DL for an extended period of rest, this is NOT what I had in mind. That was written in jest, meaning a rest of two weeks would do Glavine some good as the Mets prepared for October. Now, with tests due on Glavine's shoulder, nothing is certain regarding Glavine.
This is a huge blow to the Mets. Their pitching was shaky before this happened, now it's downright trembling. The Mets will send John Maine, Steve Trachsel, and Dave Williams to the mound in the upcoming series against St. Louis (at Shea). Orlando Hernandez is in the rotation, and the question is who will fill Glavine's spot the next time that comes around. Oliver Perez is a possibility, so is Brian Bannister. Mike Pelfrey will probably be back in the majors after September 1st, but he's nursing an injury right now. You know what would have been great? If the Mets could have gotten Jamie Moyer, who went to the Phillies in a waiver wire deal over the weekend. I don't know that Moyer would have gotten all the way through to the Mets (probably not), but he would have been ideal for a team desperate for starting pitching.
As I wrote Sunday, the Mets need top-notch performances from the above-mentioned guys for the rest of the season (a la Dave Williams' [surprising] outing Saturday against Colorado, or El Duque's on Sunday). And they need Pedro Martinez* to come back healthy. A healthy Pedro* goes a long way to making up for a lack of Tom Glavine.
And the other big point is this - the Mets' lineup hasn't been affected. It will only get better when Cliff Floyd is back, and when the likes of David Wright start hitting consistently. And the pitching around the league isn't much better than the Mets' pitching, so the offense could make up for the lack of pitching.
The one last major point that I want to bring up is that despite the recent string of injuries, the Mets are lucky. They have the luxury of a 14 game lead in the National League East. Their magic number is 26. They are going to win the division, no matter what happens the rest of the way. And they're going to win the division with plenty of time to line up their pitchers, rest players, and test out some arms, to see who can help them come playoff time. That's a huge advantage. Most of September can be like it has been the past few years for the Mets - a chance to see what they have. The difference is that instead of seeing what they have for the future, the Mets will be division champions, seeing what they have for the playoffs.
I am a positive person. I like to look on the bright side of things. I am hopeful that Glavine will get good news about his arm, and be cleared to play in a couple of weeks. But I am aware that the Mets, a lock for the World Series not too long ago, are no longer a lock. There's a very good chance this season will come to a disappointing end in the National League playoffs, and they might not make the World Series. But I also feel that with the pieces the Mets have right now, they can still compete against the best in the NL in the playoffs, and with the Mets' offense, they can hold their own in the World Series against the best of the AL.
This week will show what the Mets have - they are a better team than the St. Louis Cardinals. They need to go out and prove that, and inch closer to a pressure-free September, with a pressure-packed October still looming in the not-too-distant future.
MORE ON THE 1986 METS REUNION: In the last posting I talked about how the 1986 Mets came out through the stands down to their places on the field. I wanted to show you how that looked - and where I wish I was sitting (click on the picture so you don't strain your eyes).
The scene behind center field - where construction will soon begin on the Mets' new stadium.
First off, I feel like I need to say that when I mentioned about a month ago that Glavine needed to come up with a mysterious injury that would land him on the DL for an extended period of rest, this is NOT what I had in mind. That was written in jest, meaning a rest of two weeks would do Glavine some good as the Mets prepared for October. Now, with tests due on Glavine's shoulder, nothing is certain regarding Glavine.
This is a huge blow to the Mets. Their pitching was shaky before this happened, now it's downright trembling. The Mets will send John Maine, Steve Trachsel, and Dave Williams to the mound in the upcoming series against St. Louis (at Shea). Orlando Hernandez is in the rotation, and the question is who will fill Glavine's spot the next time that comes around. Oliver Perez is a possibility, so is Brian Bannister. Mike Pelfrey will probably be back in the majors after September 1st, but he's nursing an injury right now. You know what would have been great? If the Mets could have gotten Jamie Moyer, who went to the Phillies in a waiver wire deal over the weekend. I don't know that Moyer would have gotten all the way through to the Mets (probably not), but he would have been ideal for a team desperate for starting pitching.
As I wrote Sunday, the Mets need top-notch performances from the above-mentioned guys for the rest of the season (a la Dave Williams' [surprising] outing Saturday against Colorado, or El Duque's on Sunday). And they need Pedro Martinez* to come back healthy. A healthy Pedro* goes a long way to making up for a lack of Tom Glavine.
And the other big point is this - the Mets' lineup hasn't been affected. It will only get better when Cliff Floyd is back, and when the likes of David Wright start hitting consistently. And the pitching around the league isn't much better than the Mets' pitching, so the offense could make up for the lack of pitching.
The one last major point that I want to bring up is that despite the recent string of injuries, the Mets are lucky. They have the luxury of a 14 game lead in the National League East. Their magic number is 26. They are going to win the division, no matter what happens the rest of the way. And they're going to win the division with plenty of time to line up their pitchers, rest players, and test out some arms, to see who can help them come playoff time. That's a huge advantage. Most of September can be like it has been the past few years for the Mets - a chance to see what they have. The difference is that instead of seeing what they have for the future, the Mets will be division champions, seeing what they have for the playoffs.
I am a positive person. I like to look on the bright side of things. I am hopeful that Glavine will get good news about his arm, and be cleared to play in a couple of weeks. But I am aware that the Mets, a lock for the World Series not too long ago, are no longer a lock. There's a very good chance this season will come to a disappointing end in the National League playoffs, and they might not make the World Series. But I also feel that with the pieces the Mets have right now, they can still compete against the best in the NL in the playoffs, and with the Mets' offense, they can hold their own in the World Series against the best of the AL.
This week will show what the Mets have - they are a better team than the St. Louis Cardinals. They need to go out and prove that, and inch closer to a pressure-free September, with a pressure-packed October still looming in the not-too-distant future.
MORE ON THE 1986 METS REUNION: In the last posting I talked about how the 1986 Mets came out through the stands down to their places on the field. I wanted to show you how that looked - and where I wish I was sitting (click on the picture so you don't strain your eyes).
BLUE JAY WAY: Yikes. Manager on the hot seat: John Gibbons. The former Met is losing his team north of the border. A month or so after he challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight in the clubhouse, Gibbons got into an argument with Ted Lilly on the mound during a pitching change, then apparently got into a fight with Lilly in the clubhouse (this is speculation on my part - but Gibbons went down into the tunnel with Lilly, soon after a bunch of players followed them from the dugout, and Gibbons was later seen with a bloody nose). That's not the way a manager should be leading his team...actually, it's better than the guys who let the players run the show...but it probably won't keep Gibbons in charge for long.
THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets beat Palm Beach, 9-2 Monday night, to increase their lead to 2 games over Palm Beach. Daytona won, keeping pace with St. Lucie, to stay a game-and-a-half back.
ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: Norfolk had a doubleheader on Monday against Charlotte, and Edgardo Alfonzo started Game 1 at third base, going 0-for-3 with his 12th RBI. His average is now at .260. He also started Game 2 at third, and is 0-for-2 at this writing, with the game in the 4th inning.
NEW METS STADIUM ON THE WAY: As you know, the Mets will begin construction soon on their new stadium, which will be opening for the 2009 season. I'm very excited about that, and Saturday night I had visual proof that the pieces are in place for the groundbreaking. Here is that proof:
The scene behind center field - where construction will soon begin on the Mets' new stadium.
CALL TO (FOR) ARMS
Mets 2, Rockies 0 (NYM: 75-48, COL: 59-65)
A quick posting on Sunday's game, and the current state of the Mets, the updated Magic Number, and minor league news, then at the bottom I'll recap Saturday night.
The big news for the Mets is that Tom Glavine is out indefinitely right now. Glavine will be undergoing some tests on what is said to be a blood clot in his shoulder. This could be a minor thing that could be removed, and Glavine could be back in a couple of weeks. It could be a major thing, which could be season-ending, possibly career-threatening, and maybe even life-threatening. Obviously, that would have a major impact on Glavine and the Mets. More details will surface in the coming days, as Glavine gets these tests and test results.
For now, here's what this means for the Mets. The Mets need El Duque to continue to step up. They need John Maine to continue to pitch well. They need Dave Williams to pitch like he did Saturday night. They need Brian Bannister to be very good, like he was in his first couple of starts, and recently in rehab, and they need Oliver Perez to be as dominant as he has been in his past two Triple-A starts. They also need Mike Pelfrey to pitch like he did when he was up - well enough to keep the Mets in games. And they need Steve Trachsel to step up big time. He needs more outings like his last one, where he gives up 3 runs over 7, not 5 runs in 5 innings. (The Mets also need Pedro Martinez* to come back healthy and be effective for the rest of the season).
Now, if the Mets keep getting pitching performances out of every pitcher like El Duque gave them on Sunday, they'll be OK. Orlando Hernandez went 6 shutout innings, striking out 8, and got relief from Chad Bradford, Aaron Heilman, and Billy Wagner (save # 31) in the Mets' 2-0 win.
And the loss of Glavine doesn't affect the Mets' lineup, which continues to show signs of life. The Carloses - Delgado and Beltran - provided the Mets' offense, with each hitting a solo homer. After a long RBI drought, Beltran is now at 101 RBI. If the Mets start to hit again, they can easily outscore their opponents.
The Mets can survive this blow. It definitely hurts their championship chances. But like I said, the Mets' lineup hasn't been hurt, so they can still score runs (it can actually get even better, when Cliff Floyd comes back - that can only help the likes of David Wright in the lineup). And the Mets have some capable pitchers. Best-case scenario, both Pedro* and Glavine are back for the playoffs. Worst-case scenario, both don't. Medium-case - one is back, the other isn't. No matter what the scenario, the Mets need contributions from the other pitchers in their rotation - they might just be depending on them more than they thought.
I'll have more on this situation Monday - an off-day. For now, I'll continue with the regular feaetures:
MAGIC NUMBER: The 3-game sweep of the Rockies helped, but the Phillies bounced back from a game 1 loss to Washington to take 2 out of 3. So 28 became 27 on Saturday, and 27 became 26 on Sunday. The Phillies are in Chicago beginning Monday night - so there's a chance the number can get to 25 before the Mets take the field again.
METS MOVE: The Mets acquired reliever Guillermo Mota from the Indians in exchange for a player to be named later. I'm not crazy about this move, but the Mets do need bullpen help. Those are going to be some tired arms out there. The problem is, the Mets could use effective bullpen help, and I'm not sure Mota provides that. The former Dodger and Marlin is probably best remembered by Mets fans for throwing in on Mike Piazza multiple times in spring training, then weaseling his way out of a fight with Piazza. The positive news, I guess, is that I think Mota was more effective in the National League than the American League.
THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets lost without Hall of Famer Gary Carter at the helm on Saturday, but they still had a half-game lead in the division. More on Monday.
ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: Edgardo Alfonzo was 1-for-3 (to hit .276) in Saturday's 1-0 win - a combined 1-hitter for starter Oliver Perez. On Sunday, he was working on an 0-for-3 when I posted.
1986 REUNION
As I mentioned most of last week, I was at the Mets' 1986 championship reunion on Saturday night. And it was pretty awesome. Full disclosure - it poured during the ceremony, which didn't really bother me. But the rain became bothersome while we waited roughly 35 minutes for the field to be made ready for the game, following the ceremony. Plus the wind in the upper deck. We watched the first inning from the concourse, on television, then my dad and I decided to go home (we were taking the train, because parking is so tough, because of the pending construction of the new stadium - more on that tomorrow). So we saw the awesome comeback on TV back in my parents' house, but I saw what I wanted to see - my boyhood heroes back in the same place they became my boyhood heroes.
(Roger McDowell, Davey Johnson, Dwight Gooden, and Ray Knight were just about the only notable absentees from the ceremony. I heard on Ed Randall's Talking Baseball Sunday morning, on my way back from New York, that Barry Lyons was there, but he wasn't part of the on-field celebration because he wasn't on the 1986 post-season roster. That's a crying shame. He was a part of that team - so much so that when I played on my first traveling baseball team, I was disappointed that I didn't get 8, Gary Carter's number, but when I got #33, I said, "I'll take it - Barry Lyons, another catcher." So that shows how much a part of the team he was. The Mets always find a way to screw up something nice.) Anyway, without further ado - some pictures from the big night (we were in the upper deck, but some of these pictures actually came out better than I expected - I think if you click them you'll get bigger images. Enjoy.):
I love Gary Carter. I can't help it - he's my friggin' baseball hero. For me as a kid, everything revolved around Carter. One of my biggest regrets of adulthood (which has gone quite swimmingly overall) is that I couldn't make his Hall of Fame induction - there was a conflict that weekend. I had said ever since I was very young that I would drive my dad to Cooperstown the day Carter was inducted. Turns out, I don't know if we would have been able to get a hotel, and it would probably have been a large pain to go - but I held out hope we could go until the last minute. I still regret it. But I was at his Mets' Hall of Fame induction, and I was at the 1986 reunion, and here he is taking the field. It gives me chills to hear people cheer for him still. I'll have a very hard time rooting against him as a Major League manager.
Gary Carter was the second-to-last member of the team introduced - Darryl Strawberry got the loudest cheer, and was the last person introduced. It was good that he came - a dispute with Mets management almost kept him from appearing (rumored to be why Ray Knight wasn't there). This is what it looked like - you can see Strawberry's #18 being flipped up in the top left corner. The rest of the players were lined up on the other side of the field. This probably would have looked better without the big white tarp under that logo, but it was pouring, so I guess they had to bring out the tarp. Top right you can see the golf cart which 1986 GM Frank Cashen was riding in. He's old.
This was pretty awesome - at right. The Mets re-enacted one of the most famous scenes of the 1986 World Series, with a parachutist landing on the field, a la Game 6. This guy was a trained professional, though - not a stunt guy. Some feat, too - it was really, really windy inside Shea. But he maneuvered himself right down onto the outfield grass.
It was a great ceremony - well worth the trip down, even after setting a record for "earliest I've ever left a Mets game".
And finally:
I mentioned the Mets were wearing 1986 uniforms. You can probably see them better in a newspaper or something, but click on the picture and you can at least see the racing stripes down the side. I maintain the only thing that would have been better was having this during a game against the likes of the Astros or Cardinals - or at least someone with throwback uniforms.
P.S. - "Let's Go Mets!", the song the Mets recorded in 1986, was played throughout the night, as were other hits from 1986.
Let's Go Mets Go!!!! Do it (bring it home), do it (bring it home)....we'll make it happen! Let's Go Mets!
A quick posting on Sunday's game, and the current state of the Mets, the updated Magic Number, and minor league news, then at the bottom I'll recap Saturday night.
The big news for the Mets is that Tom Glavine is out indefinitely right now. Glavine will be undergoing some tests on what is said to be a blood clot in his shoulder. This could be a minor thing that could be removed, and Glavine could be back in a couple of weeks. It could be a major thing, which could be season-ending, possibly career-threatening, and maybe even life-threatening. Obviously, that would have a major impact on Glavine and the Mets. More details will surface in the coming days, as Glavine gets these tests and test results.
For now, here's what this means for the Mets. The Mets need El Duque to continue to step up. They need John Maine to continue to pitch well. They need Dave Williams to pitch like he did Saturday night. They need Brian Bannister to be very good, like he was in his first couple of starts, and recently in rehab, and they need Oliver Perez to be as dominant as he has been in his past two Triple-A starts. They also need Mike Pelfrey to pitch like he did when he was up - well enough to keep the Mets in games. And they need Steve Trachsel to step up big time. He needs more outings like his last one, where he gives up 3 runs over 7, not 5 runs in 5 innings. (The Mets also need Pedro Martinez* to come back healthy and be effective for the rest of the season).
Now, if the Mets keep getting pitching performances out of every pitcher like El Duque gave them on Sunday, they'll be OK. Orlando Hernandez went 6 shutout innings, striking out 8, and got relief from Chad Bradford, Aaron Heilman, and Billy Wagner (save # 31) in the Mets' 2-0 win.
And the loss of Glavine doesn't affect the Mets' lineup, which continues to show signs of life. The Carloses - Delgado and Beltran - provided the Mets' offense, with each hitting a solo homer. After a long RBI drought, Beltran is now at 101 RBI. If the Mets start to hit again, they can easily outscore their opponents.
The Mets can survive this blow. It definitely hurts their championship chances. But like I said, the Mets' lineup hasn't been hurt, so they can still score runs (it can actually get even better, when Cliff Floyd comes back - that can only help the likes of David Wright in the lineup). And the Mets have some capable pitchers. Best-case scenario, both Pedro* and Glavine are back for the playoffs. Worst-case scenario, both don't. Medium-case - one is back, the other isn't. No matter what the scenario, the Mets need contributions from the other pitchers in their rotation - they might just be depending on them more than they thought.
I'll have more on this situation Monday - an off-day. For now, I'll continue with the regular feaetures:
MAGIC NUMBER: The 3-game sweep of the Rockies helped, but the Phillies bounced back from a game 1 loss to Washington to take 2 out of 3. So 28 became 27 on Saturday, and 27 became 26 on Sunday. The Phillies are in Chicago beginning Monday night - so there's a chance the number can get to 25 before the Mets take the field again.
METS MOVE: The Mets acquired reliever Guillermo Mota from the Indians in exchange for a player to be named later. I'm not crazy about this move, but the Mets do need bullpen help. Those are going to be some tired arms out there. The problem is, the Mets could use effective bullpen help, and I'm not sure Mota provides that. The former Dodger and Marlin is probably best remembered by Mets fans for throwing in on Mike Piazza multiple times in spring training, then weaseling his way out of a fight with Piazza. The positive news, I guess, is that I think Mota was more effective in the National League than the American League.
THE KID'S KIDS: The St. Lucie Mets lost without Hall of Famer Gary Carter at the helm on Saturday, but they still had a half-game lead in the division. More on Monday.
ALFONZO'S COMEBACK: Edgardo Alfonzo was 1-for-3 (to hit .276) in Saturday's 1-0 win - a combined 1-hitter for starter Oliver Perez. On Sunday, he was working on an 0-for-3 when I posted.
1986 REUNION
As I mentioned most of last week, I was at the Mets' 1986 championship reunion on Saturday night. And it was pretty awesome. Full disclosure - it poured during the ceremony, which didn't really bother me. But the rain became bothersome while we waited roughly 35 minutes for the field to be made ready for the game, following the ceremony. Plus the wind in the upper deck. We watched the first inning from the concourse, on television, then my dad and I decided to go home (we were taking the train, because parking is so tough, because of the pending construction of the new stadium - more on that tomorrow). So we saw the awesome comeback on TV back in my parents' house, but I saw what I wanted to see - my boyhood heroes back in the same place they became my boyhood heroes.
(Roger McDowell, Davey Johnson, Dwight Gooden, and Ray Knight were just about the only notable absentees from the ceremony. I heard on Ed Randall's Talking Baseball Sunday morning, on my way back from New York, that Barry Lyons was there, but he wasn't part of the on-field celebration because he wasn't on the 1986 post-season roster. That's a crying shame. He was a part of that team - so much so that when I played on my first traveling baseball team, I was disappointed that I didn't get 8, Gary Carter's number, but when I got #33, I said, "I'll take it - Barry Lyons, another catcher." So that shows how much a part of the team he was. The Mets always find a way to screw up something nice.) Anyway, without further ado - some pictures from the big night (we were in the upper deck, but some of these pictures actually came out better than I expected - I think if you click them you'll get bigger images. Enjoy.):
The Championship Trophy was in attendance - positioned behind host Howie Rose, seen to the right on the DiamondVision scoreboard. Rose introduced each player - and the players came onto the field through the field level stands. I wish I was sitting in the field level seats.....
I love Gary Carter. I can't help it - he's my friggin' baseball hero. For me as a kid, everything revolved around Carter. One of my biggest regrets of adulthood (which has gone quite swimmingly overall) is that I couldn't make his Hall of Fame induction - there was a conflict that weekend. I had said ever since I was very young that I would drive my dad to Cooperstown the day Carter was inducted. Turns out, I don't know if we would have been able to get a hotel, and it would probably have been a large pain to go - but I held out hope we could go until the last minute. I still regret it. But I was at his Mets' Hall of Fame induction, and I was at the 1986 reunion, and here he is taking the field. It gives me chills to hear people cheer for him still. I'll have a very hard time rooting against him as a Major League manager.
Gary Carter was the second-to-last member of the team introduced - Darryl Strawberry got the loudest cheer, and was the last person introduced. It was good that he came - a dispute with Mets management almost kept him from appearing (rumored to be why Ray Knight wasn't there). This is what it looked like - you can see Strawberry's #18 being flipped up in the top left corner. The rest of the players were lined up on the other side of the field. This probably would have looked better without the big white tarp under that logo, but it was pouring, so I guess they had to bring out the tarp. Top right you can see the golf cart which 1986 GM Frank Cashen was riding in. He's old.
This was pretty awesome - at right. The Mets re-enacted one of the most famous scenes of the 1986 World Series, with a parachutist landing on the field, a la Game 6. This guy was a trained professional, though - not a stunt guy. Some feat, too - it was really, really windy inside Shea. But he maneuvered himself right down onto the outfield grass.
It was a great ceremony - well worth the trip down, even after setting a record for "earliest I've ever left a Mets game".
And finally:
I mentioned the Mets were wearing 1986 uniforms. You can probably see them better in a newspaper or something, but click on the picture and you can at least see the racing stripes down the side. I maintain the only thing that would have been better was having this during a game against the likes of the Astros or Cardinals - or at least someone with throwback uniforms.
P.S. - "Let's Go Mets!", the song the Mets recorded in 1986, was played throughout the night, as were other hits from 1986.
Let's Go Mets Go!!!! Do it (bring it home), do it (bring it home)....we'll make it happen! Let's Go Mets!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
