For the past six weeks, my heart has been sporadically pounding in my chest as I sit on the couch and do nothing. Honestly, I'm just lounging around, browsing the web, petting my dog, and watching the New York Mets play baseball...
That's it!
The Mets are causing my heart problems! I've been to the doctor, so there's no reason to worry about me, and everything checked out fine, so it's nothing structural with my heart. It must be something mental, something deep down inside me that comes to a head and boils over. That "thing" is my passion for the Mets, and their roller coaster season.
We've all been there: the heart wrenching losses, the jubilant wins, and the anticipation of both. Maybe I need to take time off from the Mets, but if you know me, you already know that is not happening. It takes a lot to pry me away from the television, nad if I'm not at the TV, it's even harder to get me away from the radio. My computer is then next in line, as I grasp that until my knuckles are white, dumbly watching Gameday and waiting for it to refresh with the next pitch.
Last, and definitely least, I text Google on my phone for the score. I hate missing games. I don't know why, but if I miss a game, I just feel so out of the loop.
Anyway, these Mets, who have been harrowing on the edge of "firesale" and now are merely a half game out of first, have taken me on the roller coaster season of my life, and I don't think my heart, or anyones for that matter, was prepared for what has already transpired. So many ups, so many downs. They had been fairly equivalent before July, but this is a new month, a new team, with a new fervor amongst them.
One could only imagine what the rest of the season has in store...
7/17/08
Early Morning Madness: Baseball, come back! edition
Three days of suffering is over. Baseball will return to all of our lives tonight, and the world is a better place.
I missed baseball. I get home from work around 6:00 p.m. every night. That usually gives me ample time to decompress, eat, check my e-mail and whatnot and have enough time to gear up for the Mets game.
The Mets are my escape. It's great to come home after a long day of commuting and sit back, hopefully relax, and enjoy three hours of baseball. I love everything about the game.
I love Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling in the booth, breaking down players, plays, situations. I also love when they don't talk about the game at all, but reminisce on the past or just completely digress away from the topic into something that has nothing to do with baseball.
I love the singularity of the game. One player vs. another. Pitcher vs. batter. The pitcher is at the advantage, as he has eight other guys on the field waiting to help him, but for the batter, it's like David versus Goliath. This one person must break down the power of nine to attempt to get a hit, move a runner over, score a run.
I love the strategy. The double switch, something foreign to most American League fans, as I've had to explain it on more than a few occasions. Bunting a runner over. The elusive suicide squeeze. All these plays, plays that each and every player knows about, but can't truly tell when they're going to come, or if they're going to come. The anticipation of every play, every pitch, is truly wonderful. You're on the edge of your seat, practically from the first pitch to the last. Any game could turn with the swing of the bat, a ball out of the strike zone, or an errant throw.
Today, baseball will return, with my hunger and passion for it renewed. Sometimes game after game gets a little repetitive and tedious, but with a few days off from true competition, I'm chomping at the bit to see some New York Mets baseball again.
I missed baseball. I get home from work around 6:00 p.m. every night. That usually gives me ample time to decompress, eat, check my e-mail and whatnot and have enough time to gear up for the Mets game.
The Mets are my escape. It's great to come home after a long day of commuting and sit back, hopefully relax, and enjoy three hours of baseball. I love everything about the game.
I love Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling in the booth, breaking down players, plays, situations. I also love when they don't talk about the game at all, but reminisce on the past or just completely digress away from the topic into something that has nothing to do with baseball.
I love the singularity of the game. One player vs. another. Pitcher vs. batter. The pitcher is at the advantage, as he has eight other guys on the field waiting to help him, but for the batter, it's like David versus Goliath. This one person must break down the power of nine to attempt to get a hit, move a runner over, score a run.
I love the strategy. The double switch, something foreign to most American League fans, as I've had to explain it on more than a few occasions. Bunting a runner over. The elusive suicide squeeze. All these plays, plays that each and every player knows about, but can't truly tell when they're going to come, or if they're going to come. The anticipation of every play, every pitch, is truly wonderful. You're on the edge of your seat, practically from the first pitch to the last. Any game could turn with the swing of the bat, a ball out of the strike zone, or an errant throw.
Today, baseball will return, with my hunger and passion for it renewed. Sometimes game after game gets a little repetitive and tedious, but with a few days off from true competition, I'm chomping at the bit to see some New York Mets baseball again.
7/16/08
HoJo goes to the beach
Just got this press release in the mail. The accompanying photo is classic.
HOWARD JOHNSON TRANSITIONS FROM THE DIAMOND TO THE SAND COURT FOR THE
CUERVO BEACH CITY CHALLENGE
Mets Coach/Legend Competes With & Against Top AVP Pros
at South Street SeaportHoward “HoJo” Johnson, NY Mets legend and current team hitting coach joined Team Cuervo, 14 of the hottest athletes on the beach this morning at the South Street Seaport bringing all the excitement of professional beach volleyball to Manhattan with the Cuervo Beach City Challenge.Local fans were able to come out and set, serve and spike against AVP pros and “HoJo” at the South Street Seaport, which was transformed with 120 tons of sand, official AVP court set-up and the players themselves.
That's all well and good, but the photo is the icing on the cake:
Such grace.
David Wright is a lucky man
I'm so proud of you, David. The future Mrs. Wright (maybe) is pretty cute, and that is the understatement of the century.
(Ed. note: This is post #1,000 on the new site...including a backlog of 2006, but not 2007. It's probably more near 2,000 but we will never know. Thanks for reading, everyone!)
(Ed. note: This is post #1,000 on the new site...including a backlog of 2006, but not 2007. It's probably more near 2,000 but we will never know. Thanks for reading, everyone!)
The Mets are streaking on both sides of the ball
I was gearing up for a lengthy post on how the Mets have turned it around since Jerry Manuel took the helm and how well the players have been playing in July.
Unfortunately (or probably fortunately), Eric Grissom over at Phillies Flow has beaten me to it.
Here's an excerpt of the article, titles "Men on fire":
The Mets have been the team that we thought they could be, finally. Mike Pelfrey has blossomed into a wonderful pitcher, Johan Santana has plugged away at his consistently wonderful pace, and Olvier Perez has switched his mechanics and seen great results.
The bats are back too, as Carlos Delgado is getting on track (maybe), Jose Reyes is on an absolute tear after getting off to a slow start, and Damion Easley is filling in admirably at second base.
The All Star break couldn't come at a worse time for the hot Mets, but hopefully it will carry over into the second "half," down the stretch, and beyond.
Great stuff, Eric. Truly worth a read.
Unfortunately (or probably fortunately), Eric Grissom over at Phillies Flow has beaten me to it.
Here's an excerpt of the article, titles "Men on fire":
There's some great statistical breakdowns of the starters in July and the runs scored / runs against breakdown between the two months of June and July.Overall, the difference between the Manuel and non-Manuel pitching numbers is far more dramatic than the difference between the Manuel and non-Manuel hitting numbers. The Mets are scoring about 4.96 runs per game since he took over compared to about 4.80 per game before he took over, but the difference between the pitching numbers is much larger. After allowing about 4.67 runs per game before Manuel took over, the Mets have allowed about 3.81 runs per game since.
The Mets have been the team that we thought they could be, finally. Mike Pelfrey has blossomed into a wonderful pitcher, Johan Santana has plugged away at his consistently wonderful pace, and Olvier Perez has switched his mechanics and seen great results.
The bats are back too, as Carlos Delgado is getting on track (maybe), Jose Reyes is on an absolute tear after getting off to a slow start, and Damion Easley is filling in admirably at second base.
The All Star break couldn't come at a worse time for the hot Mets, but hopefully it will carry over into the second "half," down the stretch, and beyond.
Great stuff, Eric. Truly worth a read.
Was that the most interesting or the most boring All Star Game ever?
My vote goes for boring.
Of the 15 innings of tedious baseball played last night, and into this morning, maybe two or three actually caught my attention. From the tenth inning on, every time the National League failed to plate a run, I was practically begging the AL to score so this thing would be over. I would only beg if I was awake though, as this game failed to hold my attention more than a fluffy couch and blanket could.
Here's what I got as my mom flipped back and forth between the All Star Game and "House Hunters" on HGTV, in no particular order:
I must say, the best part of the entire All Star Game, from red carpet events to derbies, is the pre-game festivities. I absolutely love seeing all the great players take the field and bask in cheers from fans that probably weren't alive when they played. It's great to see their accomplisments in baseball recognized.
Of the 15 innings of tedious baseball played last night, and into this morning, maybe two or three actually caught my attention. From the tenth inning on, every time the National League failed to plate a run, I was practically begging the AL to score so this thing would be over. I would only beg if I was awake though, as this game failed to hold my attention more than a fluffy couch and blanket could.
Here's what I got as my mom flipped back and forth between the All Star Game and "House Hunters" on HGTV, in no particular order:
- Dan Uggla makes uggly errors. (Amazing find by Dan Lamothe over at Red Sox Monster.)
- Billy Wagner should never pitch in All Star Games ever again.
- Clint Hurdle and Terry Francona are luuuuuuuuuucky!
- I think my dad was more excited for the stealth plane fly over than the game. Rightly so.
- Russel Martin is a beast at blocking the plate.
- Yogi Berra is still awesome.
- George Sherrill's hat is flatter than Joba Chamberlain's.
- Sox fans are so happy the MVP was J.D. Drew.
I must say, the best part of the entire All Star Game, from red carpet events to derbies, is the pre-game festivities. I absolutely love seeing all the great players take the field and bask in cheers from fans that probably weren't alive when they played. It's great to see their accomplisments in baseball recognized.
Citi Field may hold 2013 All Star Game
According to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, the Mets new home, Citi Field, is in line to host the All Star Game in 2013.
Shea Stadium held the 1964 All Star Game, and saw the National League actually win a game (shocker!) by a score of 7-4. Ron Hunt was the only Mets player elected to the game that year.
According to Baseball Almanac, Shea was host to over 50,000 fans that day. Unfortunately, Citi won't hold that many, but I'm sure they'll find a way to squeeze more and more people in.
Can't wait until 2013.
Baseball has announced the sites for the 2009 and 2010 Midsummer Classics, with next year's at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, followed by Angel Stadium in Anaheim.Sounds like a plan to me. First of all, I can't explain to you how excited I am for the new digs next year. I still can't fully grasp that Shea will be gone, but I'm anticipating all the new memories that will be made in the new park, that I will actually remember.
The 2011 game is expected to be at Arizona's Chase Field, then Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City in 2012. Then it will be the Mets' turn.
Shea Stadium held the 1964 All Star Game, and saw the National League actually win a game (shocker!) by a score of 7-4. Ron Hunt was the only Mets player elected to the game that year.
According to Baseball Almanac, Shea was host to over 50,000 fans that day. Unfortunately, Citi won't hold that many, but I'm sure they'll find a way to squeeze more and more people in.
Can't wait until 2013.
7/15/08
Big Papi: The comedian
Via Peter Abraham, one of the best beat writers in the game:
Alex Rodriguez did a brief interview with the writers just now. As he was talking, David Ortiz shouted out from the adjacent locker, “No more talking about Madonna please!”Too funny. I'm sure Yankee fans will not find this the least bit humorous.A-Rod paused for a second then kept talking as though he didn’t hear Big Papi. Everybody else started snickering, as did Ortiz.
Does anyone care about the All Star Game?
I know I don't.
Personally, I prefer the Home Run Derby over the actual game. I'm a sucker for balls that travel far (that's what she said!) and I got more than my fill last night (TWSS!). The Derby is fun and exciting, the game is slow, boring, and tedious.
I've read a ton of stuff about how awful the game has become. Frankly, I agree.
First of all, how is an "All Star" selected midway through the season? Shouldn't it be based on a whole year of stats instead of, say, 40 percent of the season. I understand MLB doesn't want to lose the audience, and if the game is played after the season, no one will really care, a la the Pro Bowl.
The game would still "matter," as it will determine next years home field, but it would be determined who plays based on a whole season of play.
Secondly, there are too many people in this game. I can see why some guys only want to play an inning or two, but they are baseball players, it's what their paid to do! I want to campaign for more pitchers (they're the ones who really should be in there for an inning or two) and less bench players. Each player should play three innings or more.
Not only would it show the true cream of the crop, but it would showcase them for the fans more.
Honestly, I don't care who wins the game tonight. The fact that is counts is stupid, but I'm just going to have to live with it. It should be fun and exciting, like Pete Rose style play, but I think that's a time of the past.
Personally, I prefer the Home Run Derby over the actual game. I'm a sucker for balls that travel far (that's what she said!) and I got more than my fill last night (TWSS!). The Derby is fun and exciting, the game is slow, boring, and tedious.
I've read a ton of stuff about how awful the game has become. Frankly, I agree.
First of all, how is an "All Star" selected midway through the season? Shouldn't it be based on a whole year of stats instead of, say, 40 percent of the season. I understand MLB doesn't want to lose the audience, and if the game is played after the season, no one will really care, a la the Pro Bowl.
The game would still "matter," as it will determine next years home field, but it would be determined who plays based on a whole season of play.
Secondly, there are too many people in this game. I can see why some guys only want to play an inning or two, but they are baseball players, it's what their paid to do! I want to campaign for more pitchers (they're the ones who really should be in there for an inning or two) and less bench players. Each player should play three innings or more.
Not only would it show the true cream of the crop, but it would showcase them for the fans more.
Honestly, I don't care who wins the game tonight. The fact that is counts is stupid, but I'm just going to have to live with it. It should be fun and exciting, like Pete Rose style play, but I think that's a time of the past.
Early Morning Madness: Fix the Home Run Derby edition
Josh Hamilton did not win the Home Run Derby. Justin Morneau did.
No one seems to care.
Morneau should be given his props for working the system, and earning himself a shiny new trophy, but Hamilton should be praised for putting on the best show I can remember.
I've never seen one player, already walking into the event with a boatload of baggage, come into a foreign park and win over a crowd quite like that. His story helped. His 71 year old pitcher helped. But it was purely the talent of Hamilton that shone through last night at the hallowed Yankee Stadium.
Hamilton was the last man to bat in the first round, and blasted 28 home runs in the first round alone. All his home runs combined traveled a distance of 12,458. The average home run for Hamilton was hit 445 feet. He went on to hit four home runs in his abbreviated second round, as he was a shoe-in for the finals.
He only was able to hit three home runs in the final round, losing out to Morneau who paced himself and was able to crank five to take home the prize.
A performance like that of Hamilton, and him walking home in second place, is the reason the Derby needs to be fixed.
The current system works as follows: In the first round, the players are given 10 outs to try and hit their home runs. Their totals from the first round carry over if you're one of the top four players to advance. The player is then given another 10 outs and their totals are combined from round one and round two. The top two players move on to the finals, where the slate is wiped clean and they start anew. Whoever wins the final round, wins the event.
It seems to be a flawed system, because if you've ever watched the HR Derby past the first round, you can see how tired and exhausting it is for the players.
Here's what I propose: In Round 1, players are allotted 10 outs, just like before. It's early, so they can take more swings. In round two, the slate is wiped clean, and the players only have five outs to try and move on. The top two advance, and are given another five outs to work with, on a new tally.
Each round in important and the later rounds are shorter. This would create more a competitive environment, as they would have to perform in each round, but it would also keep the players fresh, cutting their late round hacks in half, based on outs alone.
Do you have a better plan? Let's hear it...
No one seems to care.
Morneau should be given his props for working the system, and earning himself a shiny new trophy, but Hamilton should be praised for putting on the best show I can remember.
I've never seen one player, already walking into the event with a boatload of baggage, come into a foreign park and win over a crowd quite like that. His story helped. His 71 year old pitcher helped. But it was purely the talent of Hamilton that shone through last night at the hallowed Yankee Stadium.
Hamilton was the last man to bat in the first round, and blasted 28 home runs in the first round alone. All his home runs combined traveled a distance of 12,458. The average home run for Hamilton was hit 445 feet. He went on to hit four home runs in his abbreviated second round, as he was a shoe-in for the finals.
He only was able to hit three home runs in the final round, losing out to Morneau who paced himself and was able to crank five to take home the prize.
A performance like that of Hamilton, and him walking home in second place, is the reason the Derby needs to be fixed.
The current system works as follows: In the first round, the players are given 10 outs to try and hit their home runs. Their totals from the first round carry over if you're one of the top four players to advance. The player is then given another 10 outs and their totals are combined from round one and round two. The top two players move on to the finals, where the slate is wiped clean and they start anew. Whoever wins the final round, wins the event.
It seems to be a flawed system, because if you've ever watched the HR Derby past the first round, you can see how tired and exhausting it is for the players.
Here's what I propose: In Round 1, players are allotted 10 outs, just like before. It's early, so they can take more swings. In round two, the slate is wiped clean, and the players only have five outs to try and move on. The top two advance, and are given another five outs to work with, on a new tally.
Each round in important and the later rounds are shorter. This would create more a competitive environment, as they would have to perform in each round, but it would also keep the players fresh, cutting their late round hacks in half, based on outs alone.
Do you have a better plan? Let's hear it...
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