Saturday, September 16, 2006

Notes For Posterity... Not So Much.

In the beginning of the season, I would often do an in-game live blog of Mets games. It was difficult to keep up with so I haven't done it since April or maybe May. I had a feeling the Mets would clinch tonight, so I decided to write notes on the game as it unfolded tonight. As you know, the clinch didn't happen, but maybe you can enjoy what I wrote anyway?

By the way, the BOB on the Pirates uniforms is in honor of Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor, who died on September 1st of brain cancer.

http://static.flickr.com/98/240997131_1f5dc0f001.jpg?v=0

Transplanted Ex-Met Update - Izzy Down

St. Louis closer and Transplanted ex-Met Jason Isringhausen will not pitch again this season because of a bad left hip. Taking over for the closer's role will be Transplanted ex-Met Braden Looper.

Coincidentally, this week the Giants announced that their closer, Transplanted Ex-Met Armando Benitez would be out for the rest of the year and that another Transplanted Ex-Met, Mike Stanton, would serve as closer for the rest of the year.

If I were Jorge Julio, I would take it easy this week. And be extra careful if he sees Tony Clark soft tossing in the bullpen!

Live In-Game Blogging: Mets Vs. Pirates September 16, 2006

Good news, bad news. The Phils have won two straight, allowing the Mets another opportunity to clinch on the field. The bad news is that the WiPhbeaters are playing really well right now, and if they make it into the playoffs could be really tough.

I'm trying to switch things up a bit. I'm watching teh game upstairs instead of downstairs, had Chinese Food for dinner instead of popcorn shrimp and hoagies made by a Junkees fan. I also switched from Pumpkin Ale to good old Amstel Light. Lets Go Mets!

...

7:13 PM

Mets draw first blood in the first! Reyes led off with a hit, but was thrown out trying to steal. Lo Duca flies out to center. Beltran reached base on a walk, and Delgado drove him in with a double over the head of Jason Bay! Wright flies out to Nady to end the inning.
1-0 Mets

...

ElDuque on the hill for the Mets tonight. Gary and Keith doing the SNY play-by-play. Keith speculates that the rejuvenated Pittsburgh would be a nice city for the Mets to celebrate in if they clinch tonight, with plenty of restaurants etc. at their disposal. I'd love to visit this park next season for a Mets road game. They are well on their way as ElDuque makes short work of the Pirates in the first, setting them down 1-2-3.
7:23PM

...

7:25PM
The Mets have a great shot at clinching tonight. You'd expect SNY to get some hefty rating for the game. Why then, between the first and second innings, were there no paid ads? We saw promos for Jets Open Mic, a PSA for Delgado's extrabases.org charity, a lame SNY TVhead promo, followed by another SNY promo. Not that I love watching commercials, but isn't it weird to have so much unfilled commercial time in a broadcast?

...

7:33
Of course, once the game resumes in the top of the second, Gary Cohen reads a long line of spots for sponsors like Geico and Subway. Floyd bounces out to first. Green hits a fly to left that Bay tries to nab but can't catches up to it but instead bangs his knee into a concrete wall in foul territory. He seems to be okay and Green's at-bat continues. A Bad News Bears series of events happens next. Green hits a fly to center that Duffy dives for but misses. Duffy throws towards second as Green tries to stretch the hit into a double. The ball gets past everyone and Green makes it all the way to third. Jose Porn Star Mustache Man Valentin swings at the first pitch and pops out to second. Green is stranded on third as ElDuque grounds out.

...

7:35
Jason Bay hits a dinger to right.
1-1

...

7:42PM
Nady strikes out. Doumit gets hit on the arm on a pitch that would have been ball four. Paulino flies out to Valentin. Blah blah blah Jim Tracy wanted to bang Paul LoDuca when he managed him in L.A... ElDuque strikes out Castillo
1-1 heading to the third.
Before the commercials start we hear Mex tell someone he wants barbecue. "barbecue it? okay."

...

7:50PM
It's all about the food tonight. We come back from break and Gary Cohen is bragging about a concession stand at PNC that sells fried balogna sandwiches with french fries and cole slaw on the sandwich. Primanti Brothers or something. Mex tells Cohen he should concentrate on the play by play. Keith is worried about whether the sandwich makers are properly washing their hands.

LoDuca gets a single, and then we see some roast beef sandwiches and burgers getting grilled. Keith is apparently on a health kick because he wants holes in the grill to let some of the grease flow away from the food. Can you even cook on a grill with holes in it?? Beltran bounces out to shortstop on a close play and LoDuca moves over to second.

Hernandez shares some inside info. He says Darryl Strawberry used to hate it when former Mets broadcaster Tim McCarver used to go on and on about Strawberry playing too deep. Keith mocks out McCarver with a whiny voice and says Daryl would mutter under his breath whenever McCarver was around. Delgado strikes out.

1-1 in the middle of the third.

...

7:58PM
ElDuque breaks Gorzelanny's bat on a bouncer to third. One out.

Gary Cohen brings up how Gregg Jeffries would always rush to the plate instead of allowing the batter before him to clear the field. Keith says it was always "The World According To Gregg" with that guy.

Duffy knocks a base hit to right and Hernandez complains about someone nearby smoking a cigar. Turns out it's the Pirates radio announcer.

Duffy steals second. Wilson lines out to the pitcher. 2 outs. Keith says it smells like a quality cigar.

Sanchez strikes out to end the inning as Keith complains about his love life.

1-1 headed to the fourth.

...

8:13 PM
More talk about Primanti's. I'm getting hungry again.

Jack Wilson boots a David Wright grounder to start the 4th. Hernandez says Pirates pitcher Gorzelanny looks like the guy who played The Scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz. blah blah blah the confulence of three rivers in Pittsburgh... the commentary tonight is just stellar, folks... Cliff Floyd works the count full and fouls a ball of his foot. He's okay, but he flies out to Jason Bay for out #1.

Aflac! Who's Mets record did Reyes break by getting his 371st hit over two seasons? Gary Cohen thinks its Olerud.

Speaking of Olerud, Green is up to the plate. Green reminds me of Olerud for some reason. He doesn't hit like Olerud did for the Mets, but he carries himself in the same way. Wright steals second. Gorzelanny for some reason tries to cut off the throw by the catcher to second. Weird. Keith and Gary talk about the magic technology in broadcasting known as "the cough button." Green strikes out looking and Gorzelanny and Paulino think it's also out number three. It's not. Valentin draws the intentional walk with two outs. El Duque up to the plate, and he grounds out to third.
1-1 middle of the 4th.

...

8:25
Jason Bay leads off with a single to left. I need a beer. X-Man steps up to the plate 0 for his last 17. He flies out to Beltran. Nady will be invited to any post game celebration by the Mets. Do you think they'll invite Burnitz, too? Bay steals second. Doumit drives in the lead run with a single down the first base line.
2-1 Pirates.

Paulino strikes out looking for the second out and Castillo strikes out swinging for out#3.
2-1 Bucs, headed to the 5th
...

I LOVE the original TV head commercials. I can watch them again and again. The new ones are very lame.

...

8:37
Gary Cohen was right about John Olerud, and Keith wants Cohen to keep talking ahe can mention that Hernandez twice got over 350 hits for the Mets over two seasons. Youman relieves Gorzelanny for Pittsburgh. Reyes bounces out to 2nd.

blah blah blah Gary and Keith want to bang the staff at Elias Sports Bureau... LoDuca shoots a ground rule double over the left field wall...

...Beltran bounces out to short for the second out, it's up to Delgado. The Pirates are playing the shift. Keith thinks Delgado might punch one into left. Delgado finds a hole on the right side as he lines a single to right and LoDuca scores! Nady bobbled the ball a bit, but isn't charged with an error. 2-2 ballgame. Wright strikes out to end the inning.

...

8:43PM
Youman swings at ElDuque's first offering and it flies into the stands. He gets a new bat and gets a base hit up the middle. Keith says the bat lost in the stand was a C243. He used to use a C241 when he played. Duffy lines into a double play. Reyes did something to his throwing hand on the double play ball. He keeps looking at and shaking it. How do you injure hand on a throw? Valentin makes a great play on a grounder to end the inning.
The score is still 2-2, headed to the 6th

...

8:53PM
We get a dugout camera shot of someone applying mascara to Beltran's eye. Or something. Floyd flies out to Nady. Reyes looks fine standing on the top step. Green draws a base on balls. It's the Best of Barbados Homerun Inning. The girl in those Barbados commercials is smoking hot. If I visit Barbados, and "share her world," can I really get her to "be my girl"? Hernandez thinks Minaya should get a guy to platoon with Valentin against lefties. I'm not sure he realizes the deadline for the playoff roster past awhile ago... Valentin pops up to third for the second out.

Who is most responsible for the Mets success this season?
A - Willie Randolph
B - Ownership
C - Minaya
D - Peterson

Please. In Minaya We Trust, folks.

Keith and Gary debate the meaning of the word 'subversive.' Hernandez fouls a ball off his balls but is okay enough to continue the at bat and ground out to the pitcher.

...

9:00PM
Bottom of the sixth.
Keith says Reyes is El Duque's talisman. Gary calls Keith an aeriodyte or something. I looked it up. Erudite. Adjective: characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly.

Sanchez hits a single to center and Gary invokes the name of Turk Wendell. El Duque strikes out Jason Bay. Nady flies out to center and Beltran doubles up Sanchez with a one-hop strike to first. End of the sixth. Great play!

...

9:05PM
Top of the seventh
Reyes bounces back to the pitcher. Dammit we're out of Amstel. LoDuca grounds out to short. Beltran grounds out, too, for a 1-2-3 inning.

...

There's that Barbados girl

...

Bottom of the seventh
Gary says El Duque is "a smart dude" as he faces Doumit. Not smart enough, I guess as Doumit draws a walk.

Omar drew 56% of the votes in the "text message" poll of the game. How much spam will I get if I vote in that thing?

Davis pinch runs for Doumit and on the first pitch is promptly caught stealing on a pitch-out. It was a terrible slide, says Keith. "You'll break you're ankle!" Gary invokes the name of Jay Payton and his 1998 baserunning blunders in that year's Wild Card run. Paulino strikes out. That's 7K's for ElDuque and $175 for a Hyundai Hope and Heroes fund... grounder to Wright to end the seventh.

...

Chevy's new ad campaign brags that their cars get 30mpg. Big whoop. My hybrid gets 51 mpg on the highway. 100 years ago cars got 30 miles to the gallon. If you wanted to brag about fuel economy, GM, you shouldn't have killed the electric car. Sorry, wrong blog.

...

8:20PM
Marte pitching for Pittsburgh. Nady playing 1st base. Delgado flies out. Wright grounds out. The Mets better clinch tonight because I am blacked out from Channel 11! Floyd strikes out looking. Still 2-2.

...


Mota in pitching for the Mets in the bottom of the eighth. El Duque did a great job but leaves the game in a tie. Bautista pops it up to Reyes. Duffy gets a basehit with a liner past Reyes. Wilson grounds to Reyes, Duffy moves to second and into scoring position. Sanchez grouns out and its on to the ninth!

...

9:39
Ninth Inning

Shawn Green is up and so is the Pup-Peroni ad behind home plate. Green gets nailed in the forearm. Valentin grounds out and Green moves to second.

A pitching change for Pittsburgh

Capps comes into face pinch hitter Julio Franco.

Julio flies out for the second out, and they intentionally walk Jose Reyes. LoDuca hits a fly ball GO GO GO GO AH FUCK he flies out and we head to the bottom of the ninth.

...

Bottom of the ninth
Heilman in. Strikes out Bay and induces a ground out from Nady. Nady's now 0 for his last million.

Why do the Pirates uni's say BOB?

Randa draws a walk. Winning run on base with Paulino at the plate. Son of a bitch he drives a ball to the wall. Keep the champagne on ice.

Aargh.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Phils Win. Mets Magic Number remains at One

Hanging out in the comments section of Metsblog....

10:36 PM
4-3 Phils, headed to the ninth

10:46 PM
'shinco' makes me realize the WiPhbeaters play the Astros tomorrow afternoon so the Mets could clinch before they play tomorrow night regardless.

10:47 PM
Bottom of the ninth - Phils clinging to a one run lead

10:54 PM
One out, tying run on second, winning run at first

10:55 PM
Bases loaded! Mets are one basehit from Quintero away from the NL East title!!

10:56 PM
Or not. Phils win. Good night. See ya tomorrow.

I Heart Pedro

I love to see a player care so much about helping his team win that he is nearly brought to tears when he is not as effective as he wants to be. Pedro is the man.

With that being said, I think the media tends to overstate the importance of Pedro to the Mets postseason chances just a little. Ron Darling predicted before the game that the Mets would only go as far into the postseason as Martinez takes them. I understand the postseason is different but doesn't the fact that the Mets have the best record in baseball, but are just 11-10 in games started by Martinez, count for something?

Dammit

Mets lose 5-3. Pedro only lasted 3 innings. Mets bats looked mediocre against lefty Maholm. Aargh.

Do you think the Mets didn't try hard enough, because they felt bad about the prospect of celebrating on the field in front of Jeromy Burnitz?

I'm rooting for the Phillies to win tonight so that the Mets can try again to clinch with a win tomorrow night.

Argh.

It's the bottom of the sixth and the Mets are down 4-1. They need to clinch tonight, because my wife isn't going to stand for another weekend night in!!

They gotta get this Maholm punk out of the game to try and get at the Bucs' 'pen.

What is with the ad sales people at SNY? Why are there so many promos between segments? I thought the ratings were up this year. Can't they sell more advertising? How else are the Mets going to afford Zito this offseason???

But I'd take a million PSAs and promos over another commercial for that Everyone's Hero movie. I don't need to see a cartoon kid in a Yankees cap, for crying out loud!

By the way is Keith Hernandez drunk in the booth tonight? He sounds quite giddy.

Lets Go Mets!!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Thanks, Atlanta!

After being eliminated from NL East contention earlier this week, the Braves had just enough gumption left in themselves to eek out a win against Philly today, thereby reducing the Mets Magic Number to... One.

One.

The Mets are one win away from clinching the National League East, their first division title in 18 years.

One win.

And who do the Mets play tomorrow night, with destiny firmly held in their own hands? The pathetic Pirates. And how fitting will it be to have Pedro Martinez on the mound, the man who restored the Mets credibility two years ago, enabling Omar to sign this year's MVP candidate, Carlos Beltran? You couldn't write the script better; now the Mets just have to play it out.

I can't wait!!

Transplanted Ex-Met Update - Armando Down

If the Giants manage to sneak their way into the Wild Card spot this season and face the Mets in the NLDS, they will have to go with Transplanted ex-Met Armando Benitez. Inflammation on the right knee has sacked Armando to the 60 day DL. Transplanted ex-Met Mike Stanton has taken over the closer's role for the Giants.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Mets Cook Fish For NL FEast

The Mets had another comeback effort to deflate the Las Vegas Marlins, tonight. The Marlins completely collapsed in the 11th inning, and the Mets officially eliminated their NL East chances by winning 7-4. Wagner earned save #38, and the Mets won yet another series. They've lost just 11 out of the 47 series they've played so far.

The WiPhebeaters continue to creep up in the wild card standings, sweeping Atlanta in today's doubleheader. Philadelphia is now just 1.5 out in the Wild Card race. Still, if Atlanta can salvage the series tomorrow (James(9-3, 3.57 ERA) faces Moyer(8-13, 4.32 ERA) at 7:35), the Mets will have the opportunity to clinch Friday night with Pedro Martinez on the mound in Pittsburgh.

Lets Go Braves!

Side note: My friends and I got a kick out of reading the comments in a Metsblog post today. A couple readers made reference to a particular beer vendor we used to always see at Shea. We never knew he was such a celebrity!

Mets One Step Closer To NL East Crown

The Florida Dolphins made a good show of it tonight, with a 4-0 lead headed into the ninth, but Carlos Delgado's homer spoiled the show as the Marlins bullpen just fell apart. The Mets won, 6-4 on the bats of Floyd, Wright, LoDuca and Delgado, and the pitching perfromance of Bradford, Mota, Heilman and Wagner. Oliver Perez showed flashes of dominance too, striking out 11, though he left the game down 4-0.

Anyway, the Mets Magic Number is down to three, so if the Mets can beat the Dolphins tomorrow, and Atlanta can take care of the now second-place Phillies, the Mets can drink some bubbly. Let's all just hope that the clinching doesn't happen on the Thursday off-day, otherwise SNY won't be able to expand their oh-so-extensive roster of Mets Classics.

Here's the weird thing for the mathematicians to figure out: The Phillies are in second, with one fewer loss than the Marlins. So it's Phillies losses that we need to track when counting down the Magic number. But if Atlanta wins the first game of the doubleheader tomorrow, the Marlins would become the second place team, with one more win than Philly. So wouldn't the Mets control their own clinching destiny tomorrow night by facing the Marlins? Or, would we still need to track game two of the doubleheader in Atlanta, since the Marlins and Phillies would still be tied in the all-important loss column? Ponderous.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

I'm Going To The Playoffs!

Woo Hoo!

Back in February, when I was shut out of Opening Day tickets, I was forced to buy sets of six -packs in order to go to Opening Day, even though I live in North Carolina and couldn't attend any of the other games besides the home opener. Fast forward seven months, and I consider myself very fortunate to have missed out on the single-game opportunity, because buying the six-pack made me eligible to buy tickets to a postseason game. Now, my buddies and I will "Show Up At Shea" on October 5th for Game 2 of the NLDS!

Lets Go Mets!

Lets also just hope the Las Vegas Marlins don't sneak in to the playoffs. Even though the Mets can't face them in the first round, I would like to see these fish be put to sleep for 2006. They'll be enough trouble in '07 and beyond!