I believe that up until late last year I did not have a fatalistic view of the New York Mets. I was not waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, I was not anticipating nervously that something would go wrong, even though the worst was always in the back of my mind. That started to change late last year when the bullpen blew game after game after game. And now this year. This is as bad a fundamental team I have seen since my little league team, the Astros, in 1988. Whether it is missing bases, getting thrown out on the bases, dropping fly balls...
In the second inning of this game in the new Yankee Stadium last night, the Mets get a gift when Joba Chamberlain cannot locate his fastball and walks in two runs in one inning. Three walks and two HBP's. 2-1 Mets. Now I know that in this bandbox of a new park the Yankees play in, no lead is safe. After Teixeira put the Bombers on top with a two-run blast, Ryan Church doubles in a run and Gary Sheffield drills a three-run blast. Fifth inning: Jeter his a home run to right that would not have reached the warning track at Citi Field. Sixth inning. Godzilla give the Yankees the lead with a three-run homer to right. I was upset, but I still felt the Mets could win.
Seventh inning: Runners at second and third, no one out for the Mets. This is the at-bat that no one is giving attention to. Fernando Tatis pinch hits. Facing a lefty, Phil Coke. Ground ball, Double play, run scores. Mets tie it, but any chance for a big inning is gone. Sean Green fights through the seventh inning, but the score remains tied at 7-7.
Eighth inning: Phil Coke gets the first two out and Joe Girardi brings in Mariano in a tie game. Strange move, but I was fine with it. Beltran walks and Wright doubles him home and I am going nuts. The Red Sox are leading the Phillies at this point and although I am trying to just look at the wild card standings, I was pumped. Even better, Green and Feliciano get the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Ninth inning: Mets do nothing against Rivera. Bottom of the ninth, in comes the great K-Rod. Brett Gardner pops up, and after a long at-bat, Jeter singles. I wasn't too worried, although I knew a home run would end the game. Then Johnny Damon pinch hits for Nick Swisher. After what seemed like 15 pitches, Damon strikes out but Jeter steals second. K-Rod wants no part of Teixeira and walks him, which is fine. Up comes A-Rod. The great hitter who is as unclutch as any, so they say. With a 3-1 count, he pops the ball up to shallow right field. Out goes Luis Castillo and as he is shuffling back, his legs are shaking. I knew he was under the ball, but I dreaded that he might not be able to see it. And he drops the ball, two runs score. Yankees win, theeeeeeeeee Yankees win.
This is Francisco Rodriguez' first blown save as a Met and he absolutely did not deserve it. The bottom line is this. Championship caliber teams do not lose these types of games and do not make these fundamental mistakes on a day in, day out basis. This team needs to shake something up. I don't know if it's coaching or a trade, but this team will not take me and my fellow Mets fans to the promise land. At best, they will compete for the wild card. There is no way they are catching Philadelphia.
And who do we send to the mound today? The immortal Fernando Nieve. Wake me up when the Mets have a lead in that game today.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I hate this
I have been rooting for the rotting New York Mets for 21 years. I have in essence based my life around them at times. And yet they still continue raise my expectations every year only to stab me in the heart every single year.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Inside and outside the jury room
1) I learned if you take an express train during rush hour, you have to be really careful to board the train that actually stops where your car is parked.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
Want to say it, but I won't. It's complaint time
1. As great as last night's win over Philthy was, this 5-4 11-inning loss was horrible. This offense scored four runs in five innings against Hamels and does nothing over the next six against the bullpen. I want to press the panic button right now, but won't just yet only because there is one more game tomorrow. Oh that's right. We have to count on Tim Redding to beat Utley, Victorino, Howard, Rollins, Ibanez, and that bastard Jayson Werth. And then the three games in Yankee Stadium. Great.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
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