Mets Confessions via Text Messages

My friend Bob* and I had a text message conversation yesterday morning, while I was commuting into the city for a business meeting.  I forgot to bring a newspaper, so he kept me entertained.  We both vented about our frustration with this team.

 

ME: Good Morning to you and how you be?

BOB:   Not bad.  Yourself

ME: Fine.  on the train to nyc.

BOB: When is our Mets game?  How much do I owe you?

ME: september 6. 30 bucks.  they should be in last place by then.  Bobby V would do better with this crew

BOB: Totally, I'm tiring of the Manuel Schtick

ME: the 97 mets had less talent and won more.

BOB: More heart and a better manager.  Also more clubhouse leaders.

ME: and more Baergas

BOB: Sorely missed

ME: At least myheinousanusreyes is back.

BOB: Nobody worth rooting for besides Johan and K-Rod.  Even Wright is a loser

ME: k-rod couldn't get mariano rivera out.  johan has thrown more teammates under the bus than Cindy Brady would... at least he's a man though.

BOB: He's a man.  He's a man.

ME: to hell with all these guys

BOB: I've never been so disconnected before.  Minus them sucking, I think some of it is getting older and being distracted by kids.

ME: yeah me too.  but also these guys just aren't that likeable.  even in 2007, before september, i wasn't digging on this group.

BOB: It's the personalities.  Nobody has a good one.  We need another Ventura.

ME: yeah he was great and so was leiter, turk wendell and even derek bell

BOB: Yep on all those guys - these guys are dull...dull quotes...dull looks on their faces.  We'd be better off with Manuel as a player.

ME: bunch of spoiled millionares

BOB: Yep.   Even the Yanks have Damon and Swisher, who are fun guys.

ME: a caller to mike francesca proposed ryan church for nick swisher.  i thought that was a good deal for both teams.

BOB: I would do it.  I like Church, but he is SUCH a dud.

ME: yeah and swisher has more power, which we need too.  You know who's another guy the Mets miss?  Cliff Floyd.

BOB: BIG time

ME: ok, getting off the train now.  Get back to work!

 
*name has been changed to protect the innocent

Transplanted Ex-1986 Mets

How long did it take to build and disassemble that World Series-winning team?

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/info-86mets.html

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Orlando El Duque Hernandez

Hey hey hey, El Duque isn't done yet. Former Mets pitcher and younger/older half-brother of Livan Hernandez, Orlando Hernandez has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

The last time Mets fans saw El Duque he was due back any day now from a foot injury in 2007, but he missed all of 2008 when he injured his toe while rehabbing his foot. I'm pretty sure Suzyn Waldman blames the foot injury on El Duque being sad about Elian Gonzalez.

Another ex-Mets pitcher, Pedro Martinez, is reportedly in talks with the Tampa Ray Devil Bays to join the club, pending the results of an upcoming workout. Metsblog notes that the Rays will face the Mets at Citi Field for a three game set next weekend.

Meanwhile, in Japan, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines scored 15 runs in one inning against the Hiroshima Carp as part of a 23-2 win on Thursday.

Photos of Nationals Park (Mets V. Expos)

Alright, time to get one last post out of the way about my trip to Nationals Park, before the Mets kick off their big series with the Phillies (weather permitting).

All in all, I was very impressed with Nationals Park. What may be most impressive is that the Mets and Nationals both started work on their stadiums at roughly the same time in 2006, but the Washington, D.C. park opened a full year before Citi Field. I can't explain why it took the Mets longer, because both stadiums were designed by HOK. Maybe someone out there has a guess?

We took the DC Metro to the Park, which sits at the Navy Yards stop on the Green Line. Luckily I had my cousin with me to figure out how to buy a Metro Card - I have to admit I was totally baffled by the vending machines at the train station! One thing to note when riding teh DC Metro: you have to swipe your card both when you enter and exit the stations - it's kinda like the Jersey Turnpike tolls where you pay depending on how far you travel and what time of day, rather than a flat per-ride price.

When you depart the train you walk into the park down this main corridor where they are building condos and luxury apartment buildings. How great would it be to be able to watch the game from your apartment? I wonder how rents with ballpark views will compare to those with views of The Capitol?

MASN was broadcasting their pre-game show from the ballpark courtyard. I thought it was really cool to see a player from the 1986 Mets at the game. How could you top that? You can buy day of game grandstand seats for $5.00 each, but we opted for upper deck seats behind the plate for $20. I thought that was a pretty good deal. Here was our view:

There is a huge analog clock next to the giant HDTV scoreboard in centerfield. I am not sure if this is intentional, going back to rickety RFK days or what, but there is something wrong with the clock. At gametime it was about 10 minutes slow, and by the end of teh game (2 hrs. later) it was almost a full hour behind. And another thing, and I am sure I am not the first to note this, but someone should inform Walgreens that the baseball team stole their logo.

The TV announcers may complain about their high perch, but there is not an obstructed view in all of Nationals park. And I checked. You can watch teh game while walking around the entire park, almost at every level, with great views of the action. Wherever you go. There is phenomenal food choices (I did have a tasty W shaped pretzel), and overall a very fine atmosphere. Credit for this must go to thw aforementioned all-star ushers. Very friendly for out of town fans!

Here are some more pics for your perusal. Overall, I rate this ballpark an A

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Meeting Doc Gooden

So here is the story of how I met transplanted ex-Mets superstar pitcher Dwight "Doctor K" Gooden:

 

I give a ton of credit to my cousin who has been a Mets fan for over 30 years, despite growing up in Western, PA where most baseball fans would grow up rooting for the Pirates, or maybe even the Indians or something.  But he stuck with the Mets through the lean times and even though he now lives in the Washington DC area, we try to meet up at least once a year for a Mets game.  The first autograph I ever got was Dwight Gooden.  I don't know how young I was, but it used to be that if you showed up early at Shea you could hang out at the field level and often times the players would come over to the railings and sign things.  I was fortunate enough to get Dwight Gooden's autograph on a baseball, and then I asked for a second autograph for my cousin.  Everyone in the crowd snickered, yeah sure for your cousin, but Doc obliged and I sent the artifact out to my cousin in PA. 

 

So this weekend my very understanding wife and my son and I drove down to southern Maryland to meet up with my cousin and his wife and their two kids.  Saturday night my cousin and I took the DC Metro into the game. My cousin's got this old shirt, I mean like 20 years old or something, that he wears to most Mets games.  It's a grey Dwight Gooden T-Shirt with an illustration of Doc on it and METS written across the top.    I wish I had a picture of this shirt, because no written description could do it justice.  But anyway, like I said my cousin wears it to almost all Mets games he goes to, and says they almost never lose when he wears it.  When we showed up at his house my wife asked where the Gooden shirt was.

 

So he's got the shirt on and we're walking around Nationals Park in between innings, and this dude at a memorabilia kiosk calls us over.  He wants to know about the shirt my cousin's got on, and where he got it.  It's an old shirt, my cousin says.  The guy at the kiosk says he has been getting requests for T-shirts featuring Negro League stars, and the one my cousin has on is great because it says Mets on it!  The guy was serious!  So my cousin just says it's an old shirt that he's had for years.  The guy says, "Well it fits you great - it's probably your best shirt!"  We just walked away laughing and of course made jokes for the rest of the game about Negro League superstar Dwight Gooden, and remember that time he faced Satchel Paige and that kind of thing.  

 

My cousin was very patient as I took about a thousand pictures of the ballpark.  The great thing about the park is that it's got open views of the field from practically every level, so you can walk around and watch the game from every angle.  Which is what we did once the game was out of hand.  We started way up on top and circled around, and as you'll see when I post pictures, I have photos from about a dozen different of angles.  So by the time the top of the ninth rolled around, we were at the lowest level, right at home plate.  I'm taking shots from where I thought was a good view, when an usher invited me to go even closer.  So I got separated from my cousin to walk down the ramp and take a few shots.  I got some closer pictures of Castillo and Beltran as they batted and then since it was 2 outs in the ninth I figured I should get back up to my cousin before we got separated when the game ended.  I turned around to walk up the ramp when a different usher calls back to me, "Hey! You know who's here? Dwight Gooden!"  I guess he spotted my Mets hat, and knew Dwight Gooden from his post-Negro League days? 

 

"Where?," I asked. 

 

"Go that way and ask the usher - his name is Howard."

 

I found Howard, and asked him if Doc Gooden was sitting nearby, right as Beltran made the last out of the game. "He's right there - standing up right now to leave." 

 

I asked the usher he would take our picture.  The Nationals my not have many wins, but they lead the league in my favorte ushers.  Dwight was with a young boy (his son?) but obliged for the photo anyway - he even smiled!  I thanked Doc for the 1980's memories, and ran back to my cousin.  "You are not going to believe this," as I showed him my camera.

 

My cousin laughed in astonishment.  "I was just about to say that the luck in this shirt had run out!"

I think I owe my cousin and his shirt a few beers for the karma.

Quick Review: Nationals Park

Still recovering from the long drive up from DC. I'll post a full review soon, hopefully tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some quick reactions about my trip to see the Mets play at Nationals Park:

• I want to know if HOK (the designers of Citi Field) also did this park because whoever did, did a much better job.
• Access to the park is super easy from the DC Metro.
• 360 degrees of the field from ALL levels.
• No obstructed views.
• Fantastic food options.
• A great value - I scored upper deck seats day of game for $20 each. There are also grandstand seats for $5, available day of game only, but we bought our seats from the kiosk and I think you have to talk to a live person to get the $5 seats?
• Something is crazy with the big analog clock in right field, it was 15 minutes slow at game time, but by the end of the game it was almost a full hour behind!
• Someone needs to tell Walgreens that the Nationals stole their logo.
• How do 8 runs get scored in a baseball game that only lasts two hours?
  
• I am officially a jinx for the 2009 Mets - I am 0 for 3 seeing the in person this year!
• TONS of Mets fans at the park.
• I will have to post this separately, as it is too long and crazy story to bury it here, but I managed to get my picture taken with Dwight Gooden, who was in attendance at the game!
  
• Brag all you want, Washington fans, but until your team finishes above .500 for the season, they are still the Expos!

That's all for now - I'll post more pics, comments and stories later this week!

Just got my pic taken

Just got my pic taken with Dwight Gooden!

$20 for this view

Live from Nationals Park

Live blog at Nationals Park: Lets Go Mets!

First Pitch at Nationals Park. Mets vs. Expos

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Tom Glavine

Metsblog passes along word from FOX Sports that the Braves have released Tom Glavine, who was in the midst of rehabbing from an injury and seemed to be progressing well. Money seemed to be a factor for the Braves.  I wonder if Glavine is devastated by the news.

I hate agreeing with Wallace Matthews, but I do

I usually take umbrage with the way Wallace Matthews takes any opportunity to slam the Mets, but I begrudgingly admit that I often agree with his rants.  Today is one of those times - his column discusses the surprisingly low attendance at Mets and Yankees games.  The owners will want to blame the economy, but that's only half the story.  This season will likely be the fewest games I've gone to in about 15 years, and for three of those years I lived in North Carolina!  I haven't directly been impacted by the economy, but the way the Mets have structured the price of a ticket, plus the hidden surcharges, plus the price of parking, and the way they built the damn ballpark so that only those who pay triple-figures can actually get a good view, I am less than enthusiastic about making the trek to a game.  Shea was a dump, for sure, but at least those in the upper tank could see the whole field for under $15 a seat.  Mezzanine and Loge seats behind the plate were great views for less than $40 most nights.  Citi Field is just one big rip-off. 

The Ramon Castro Era Is Over

I am very happy today, as the Mets won an 11 inning thriller with a game winning hit by Omir Santos, as well as because the Ramon Castro Era is over. I have never been a fan, and am glad that we will see more of Omir. It occurred to me, with news that the Mets have acquired minor league outfielder Emil Brown, that the Mets must surely lead the league in players whose first names have just four letters:

Omir
Ryan
Alex
Gary
Jose
Sean
Mike

Remember, as tempting as it is, NO GLOATING about injuries to competing team's players!

Transplanted ex-Mets Outfielder Clint Hurdle Fired as manager of The Rockies

Two-time Mets Utility Player Clint Hurdle was fired today as manager of the Colorado Rockies. 

Hurdle had three stints as a Met, but appeared in just 59 games over three seasons (1983, 1985 and 1987) in the mid eighties.  He hit .195 as a Met.

Before moving on to the Rockies organization, Hurdle managed the Mets A, AA, and AAA farm teams.

Ex-Mets Manager Joe Torre Is Full Of Balogna

Joe Torre says that Manny Ramirez should decline an invitation to the All Star Game if selected.

“To me, I think the significance of the All-Star Game is to reward players who have a good first half,” Torre said. “We don’t always do that, because it’s a popularity vote, for the most part. If you want to include the fans, that’s how it’s got to be.”

Really, Joe? It's to reward players who had a great first half? Is that why you selected seven Yankees to the 2001 squad when none were voted in by the fans?

METS BOOK REVIEW: Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Book

If you're a fan of Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Blog you've likely already picked up Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Book. Greg and Jason's blogsite has long been called "The Blog For Mets Fans Who Like To Read" so I guess it's only natural for the blog to become a book! The site's postings consistently articulate what Mets fans collectively are feeling at any given time. If you're a Mets fans you leave the site feeling validated and with a sense of camaraderie in your emotions. Greg Prince's book does exactly the same thing. Sometimes as Mets fans we feel like we're constantly having to explain our fandom. Some folks think we just choose to be contrarian. Yankees fans sometimes malign us for sticking with a faux-underdog. They don't get it. We're Mets Fans because we're Mets Fans, and I could spend a thousand pages trying to explain it but instead I'll just direct you to Greg's fine book for what must be the best articulation of what it's like to be a Mets fan between two hard covers.

The well-deserved positive reviews are pouring in, and if you haven't been convinced enough yet to purchase this tome, I'd like to list just a few of my favorite things about Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets

I finally have a mnemonic device to remember the name of the blog! I have a brain freeze when it comes to remembering the name of the site, and I all too often type it or remember it as "Fear And Faith In Flushing." Thankfully, the cover of the book gives me an associative device to remember it. Ray Knight is on the top half of the cover (Faith) and Aaron Heilman is on the bottom half (Fear). It is officially ingrained!

It's written by a blogger! If you're a blogger you can't help but feel like we were all published along with Greg Prince. Don't you just feel totally validated? And hey, if your significant other can't fathom why you would want to spend countless hours on the computer barking blogging at the moon, it is especially helpful to be able to hold up a real live book published by a real live publisher and say "See here, this book was written by a blogger! That could be me someday!" Or at least, "Hey, look here in the acknowledgments! This guy Dave Murray is a Mets blogger too! I could be named in an acknowledgments section someday!"

There's an entire chapter devoted to the 1997 Mets. 1997 was one of the most fun seasons for me as a fan of the Mets. Carlos Baerga, John Olerud, Matt Franco, Edgardo Alfonzo, and my all-time favorite manager Bobby Valentine made for one of the most gratifying seasons as a season can be without winning a damn thing, and I'm not the only one who remembers it as such!

The Afterword with Gary Cohen. Greg transcribes a conversation with Gary Cohen, and they talk about the closing of Shea Stadium, and if you didn't already believe that Gary was one of us, these few pages assert that we're all in this together. And that for me is what this book is all about. That sense of community among Mets fans, simultaneously optimistic and bitter, and always believing.