I'm Done With Baseball

Buck Showalter and Mets fans looked really terrible this month as their playoff dreams collapsed. So much so, I have handed in my Mets fan card. It was nice living in New York City for 27 years and have a local team to support not called the Yankees. But supporting the Mets presents its own set of awful problems and awful people. I used to describe Mets fans as friendly, knowledgeable baseball fans. More chill than Yankee psychos. Now I wonder if they are all just Yankee fans in disguise and I’ve been too kind to them for 23 times. I'm done with them after last night's stunt. And now that I’ve given it some thought, I am done with baseball.

I just have to call it. I have already seen the greatest things to ever happen in the sport. Carlton Fisk’s homer. The 1986 and 1988 Mets. The 1988 Dodgers. The 1991 Twins. The greatest Red Sox shortstop. The greatest pitcher of my lifetime. His striking out 17 Yankees. His striking out 5 of the first 6 batters in the 1999 All Star Game. The Yankees losing the fascist, militarized 2001 championship series to an expansion team in Phoenix and their two durable pitchers. The greatest hitter of my lifetime. The 2017 Dodgers. The Red Sox in 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018. Those 2018 Red Sox capped it all. They were dominant, fearless, and executed perfectly. They went toe to toe with the Houston Astros, a team that was and still is a pennant contender in the American league, and beat them in 5 thrilling games.

So the Mets had Joe Musgrove’s ears checked for a dark sticky substance. They did it because they couldn’t accept that he was spinning the ball perfectly that night. In the aftermath, I took that as my cue to quit following this sport. I can now focus on global football and auto racing. Sure, I could make time to follow more sports. But when something ridiculous like this takes place, that’s the perfect moment to show myself out.

Mike Piazza Made His Mets Debut 20 Years Ago Today

I can't say much about Mike Piazza, because his story is known, and as far as I know, he is a good guy. No women have accused him of abuse yet. 

Twenty years ago yesterday, the Mets acquired him in a trade, and twenty years ago today, Mike Piazza played his first game for the Mets. His arrival signaled the start of a big money era for the Mets. For the Mets to make it to the playoffs going forward, they were going to have to be a bigger club, like their bully next door neighbors. He got them there. And he was easily the best cacher the Mets ever had. 

But I want to write this next point, finally, after 17 years. The worst thing Piazza ever did was deciding not to beat the living hell out of Roger Clemens in game 2 of the 2000 MLB championship (I don't use the W word). He had foreseen it. He knows he should have. I still wonder "what if" Piazza had not been classy, and instead tried to kill Roger. Could this championship series had gone longer? Would it have slowed down the Yankee dynasty, which ended the following year in Phoenix? Would it have helped the other Yankee haters, the Red Sox? What if?

What if, Mike?

We're Not Dead...And Neither Are The Mets!

The month of May is a make-or-break stretch for the New York Metropolitans. It began with a home series against Philadelphia, will continue with a west coast trip, and it will end with a home series against the once hot, now struggling Florida Marlins. Oh, and they also host the Braves and travel to Boston for Memorial Day Weekend. It's a key month. But they have begun it with a beautiful sweep of the Phillies, and a fourth straight win overall. We'll see in 4 weeks if there is still a race for the NL East with the Mets in the mix. I do think the Red Sox will sweep the Mets at Fenway. The Red Sox offense is getting better as the season goes on. See what the Sox did last night?

This Used To Be My Playground

Just wanted to make a comment about the Mets home opener on Tuesday April 8th. Besides the fact that the Mets weaknesses in the bullpen revealed themselves, in addition to some mismanagement by Willie, the home opener was marred by a mean-spirited atmosphere.

Or to put it another way - the Mets fans are bitter. There were several fistfights in the upper deck, resulting in at least 12 arrests. There was a lack of support from the 56,000 fans who braved cold winds as the sun went down. Most of the fights I saw were cases of Met-on-Met violence. And as my friend D said, "This place has become Yankee stadium."

I know what he meant. Shea used to be a positive, friendly place to see a ballgame. But as this year's home opener proved, 2008 is going to be a year of anger, bitterness, booing, and sadness. It's going to be a long season, friends. My local National League team is in a world of hurt.

And to add insult to injury, the Mets were Rickrolled. That's right. Victims of a British-born Internet prank.

"Stop Being A Bitch And Pitch!!"

That was my man, D, yelling at Mets relief pitcher, Aaron Hellman at the home opener on Tuesday afternoon. Hellman kept trying to pick-off Carlos Ruiz at second base. Regardless of what he was trying to do defensively, he still gave-up 3 walks, 2 hits, and 2 runs in that inning which sealed the Mets' fate on Tuesday. At least he knew that Ruiz would score, which he did on an RBI single.