May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011 – Mets 1, Rockies 2
Tuesday, May 10 2011 – Mets 4, Rockies 3
Last night I realized that I was nearing the end of my homebrew supply, and with no cold beer awaiting me at home I picked up my go-to baseball beer, Miller Lite, whilst doing the weekly grocery shopping and eagerly anticipating heading home to watch the Mets take on the Rockies at homer-happy Coors Field. I made it home with a few minutes to spare and while waiting for the game to start I checked my email and threw a few wise-ass comments up on my friend Kim’s facebook page. She too was watching the Mets from her home in Western NY, and she remarked that it would be tough to be a Rockies fan and have to wear all that ugly Barney-purple gear. I agreed and added that all that winning and making the playoffs would be a real bummer too.
Click here to read the rest of: “A Rockie Start”
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May 10, 2011
Sunday, May 8 2011 – Mets 2, Dodgers 4
As I mentioned in the previous post, I spent this past Sunday with my family at Citi Field, our first ballgame as a family and Lily’s first game ever. Both girls were pretty excited, but in all fairness they would be excited to go to prison as long as there was the promise of hot pretzels and cotton candy.
Having Kate and I for parents has predisposed them to the Mets and baseball. It’s on the TV most weekends and Mr. Met and the various Mets logos decorate a number of my t-shirts and hats. They recently picked out some Mets hats of their own and Caelyn still squeezes into a David Wright shirt I bought her two years ago because she loves it so much. They’ll occasionally “watch Mets with Dad” as they call it, but often that watching involves a lot of playing with My Little Ponies and the occasional glance up at the screen when David Wright comes to bat.
Neither of us went into this particular trip to the ballpark with expectations of actually, you know, seeing the game. I didn’t even know that it was Mother’s Day when I bought our tickets. I just chose a free Sunday and a team I’d like to see them play. We arrived to a fairly empty parking lot and for only the second time in my life I parked close to the stadium itself. Even arriving early in the past, earlier than we were on Sunday, I’ve always parked by the Marina, the stadium lots full. The only other time I got a spot this close was on the last day of the 2010 season – my first game with Caelyn.
Click here to read the rest of: “Bring Your Kiddies, Bring Your Wife…”
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April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18 2011 – Cubs 1, Padres 0
I finally got to realize a longtime dream last night and attend a ballgame at Wrigley Field. I was in the very windy city of Chicago attending a conference for work and as soon as I paid my registration fee last month I started looking for tickets. I got an incredible seat from the Cubs website, directly behind home plate, 10 rows back from the dish – for $40 – and that includes the ticket fees. By way of comparison that same seat is currently $1,250 at Yankee Stadium and $300 at Citi Field. I couldn’t wait to take it all in, the ivy, the classic scoreboard, the flags showing if the wind was favoring the pitcher or hitter, the rooftop bleachers across the street.
When the night finally came, the temperature was 30 degrees and falling, the sun hadn’t made an appearance all day, and the wind was piercing. I took the red line subway out to the ballpark and walked around to the main entry gates at the front of the stadium where the famous sign proclaimed that I had indeed arrived at Wrigley Field, Home of the Chicago Cubs!
Click here to read the rest of: “The Very Friendly Confines”
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April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17 2011 – Mets 3, Braves 2
I hate flying. I hate everything about it. The long lines, taking off half my clothes in security, the ubiquitous airport terminals, the delays and suddenly switched gates, the bad food, the cramped seats, the stale air, and most of all the gut-wrenching fear of imminent death.
I know that statistically air travel is far safer than taking your car out on the interstate, but I also know that when a plane crashes all they have to do is add the number of crew to the number of passengers to get the death toll, statistically speaking. That and I know far too much about mechanical contraptions and the rate at which they are serviced and maintained properly. And I’ve had the personal experience of having to pull my car over to the shoulder when something went wrong. It was inconvenient at worst. There’s no pulling over in the friendly skies.
Click here to read the rest of: “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday”
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April 14, 2011
Thursday, April 14 2011 – Mets 5, Rockies 6 & Mets 4, Rockies 9
When Tuesday night’s game against the Rockies was rained out and a single admission doubleheader (a real and true doubleheader) was announced for Thursday afternoon, which looked to be the first nice day all week, I immediately wanted to go. To the internet I flew like a flash! Tickets were both abundant and cheap and I was sorely tempted to channel my inner Ferris Bueller and play hooky from work.
Alas, after much internal debate I chose the more “adult” option of staying at my desk and getting my work done, clearing the decks in advance of my departure this Sunday afternoon for a week-long business trip in Chicago. I will however be seeing the Chicago Cubs take on the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field (where I’ve been dying to go for some time) so Ferris will be served in some small way.
Click here to read the rest of: “Radio Free Flushing”
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April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10 2011 – Mets 3, Nationals 7
Monday, April 11 2011 – Mets 6, Rockies 7
Well, you can’t win ‘em all. And I certainly don’t expect to, but when the bullpen blows up a game after a great start it’s a tough loss. Especially after a start like the one Chris Young gave on Sunday afternoon, going 7 full innings and allowing only a single hit and earned run. It seemed like just when you start thinking that the starting rotation might be working out the kinks, the bullpen shines a spotlight on the holes in the Mets’ pitching staff. At least Alderson took quick action and sent Boyer packing to make way for Izzy, who in my opinion should have claimed that final relief spot on day one. And he certainly demonstrated that last night when he shut down the rallying Rockies in the 7th, keeping the score tied in what had already been a rollercoaster game with the lead changing nearly every inning.
I think all Mets fans knew that this was not going to be an easy season by any stretch of the imagination, and that the wins would be hard fought for the most part and lucky for all the rest. But that managed to capture my interest and imagination far more than if they had set themselves up to be the pen and paper goliath the Red Sox were on March 31. It’s why I love the Mets, the victories are earned with blood and sweat and when they do come, they are all the sweeter for it.
Click here to read the rest of: “You Don’t Know Jack”
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April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8 2011 – Mets 2, Nationals 6
It wasn’t the coldest Opening Day I’ve been to, but it sure felt like it. That honor went to Opening Day 2007, where the sun was shining bright, but unfortunately much too far from the Northern Hemisphere to make much of a difference. Kate and I were there with a six-month-old Caelyn bundled up and inside Kate’s coat, with only her head sticking out like Quato in Total Recall. We didn’t make it through the whole game that time.
Yesterday was my fifth Opening Day with the Mets and my first at Citi Field. I took a half-day at work and Kate and I drove down with a cooler filled with my homebrewed “Regular Saison” a Petit (session strength) Belgian Saison, an Italian hero to share, and a few bags of pretzels. We “tailgated” beside the bay in the Marina parking lot and for the 100th time inhaled the smell of charcoal and slightly burnt hamburgers and wished we had brought a little grill with us. Next time, next time.
Click here to read the rest of: “Opening Day”
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April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5 2011 – Mets 7, Phillies 1
Last night’s game has me questioning my principles. It didn’t help that I had just had a discussion about them with my brother-in-law Chris yesterday afternoon on my drive home from work. Chris is a bit older than me and a lifelong Yankee fan, the kind that I really respect, who stayed true to the team throughout the 80s and early 90s when they were nothing like the dynasty they are now. We were rehashing the weekend’s games from both sides of the New York fence, and when I was talking faster than usual – caught up in the joy of Sunday’s slaughter of the Marlins to win the series – he seized the opportunity to point out how I always say that I don’t like watching one-sided games, even when it’s my team that’s doing the slaughtering.
I countered by saying that my logic was sound and my principles unvarnished since this was the rubber game of a difficult series, coming off a devastating opening night loss and a hard fought win on Saturday night where the score was up and down like a rollercoaster and the game not decided until the 10th. After two games like that, a big win on Sunday still made for a good game, exciting in the context of the series if not the game. Besides, he’s also the kind of Yankee fan that admits that while the Yankees winning 162 games year in and year out would be boring, he’d be comforted by it. In the end he conceded my point and I felt the surge of confidence that comes with the sudden (but always fleeting) feeling of being right. And then came last night’s game.
Click here to read the rest of: “On Principles of Slaughter”
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March 24, 2011
3/23/2011 – Mets 3, Cardinals 5
We turned the game off early last night in favor of watching the next episode of Battlestar Galactica on our Netflix queue. I didn’t particularly mind when Kate suggested it and said, “I just can’t get into Spring Training games.” And I knew what she meant. I don’t think I’ve watched all 9 innings of more than 2 games this entire Spring. I don’t turn it off the second the starters leave the field, but I will admit that once it gets to be a field full of guys with jersey numbers north of 90, it is hard to keep my interest.
Click here to read the rest of: “A Meaningless Game”
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March 22, 2011
3/19/2011 – Mets 7, Nationals 4
There’s nothing quite like lounging around in bed on a Sunday morning with a beautiful brunette and watching baseball. Even if she does spend more time looking at her Max and Ruby book than watching the game. Kate was away at her Aunt Linda’s surprise 50th birthday party out on Long Island (I remember her 40th which makes me feel old – that and she looks like she’s aged 2 years and I look like I’ve aged 20) so the girls and I had a slumber party where we played My Little Ponies, watched Curious George, and ate popcorn.
When my oldest daughter Caelyn knocked on the door at 6:30 the next morning I wasn’t quite ready to get up having stayed up late watching one of my favorite movies, The Matador, and then not getting to sleep due to a nagging cough. Luckily she thought that watching the Mets with me sounded good, as long as she could bring some toys and books. My younger daughter Lily takes after her mother and was quite content to keep sleeping.
Click here to read the rest of: “In the Booth”
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