Remember how Squawker Jon and I waited in the cold for two hours on Presidents' Day to get free Mets tickets? And how I almost froze my tuchis off, the day after running a 10-mile race in single-degree weather and getting hypothermia? Anyhow, you may remember that the Mets ended up giving us a better deal on free tickets than we expected. And today was the first day we could redeem our free ticket vouchers.
We had a choice of field-level box seats in the outfield area for most Monday to Thursday Mets games from April through June. So Jon and I chose two games: Tuesday, May 17, Mets vs. Nationals (Daniel Murphy's first game back at Citi Field!) and Thursday, June 30, Mets vs. Cubs (only time Cubs come to town this year.) The Nationals tix are in Section 130 and retail for $37 each. The Cubs tix are in Section 131 and retail for $63 each. So, yes, we ended up with $200 in tickets for waiting in the cold that day. Not too shabby!
Anyhow, there is something else I noticed about the Mets' ticket policies. You can either print the tickets at home, or add them to Apple Wallet so you can show them on your mobile phone! Imagine that! Also, we don't have to worry that we'll get kicked out of our field-level seats, or that somebody will wonder if we really belong there. Amazing.
Funny that the Mets don't seem to be worried about that massive ticket fraud problem that the Yankees are so concerned about. Or, maybe it's that there is no problem at all in the first place! Gee, ya think?
Showing posts with label New York Mets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Mets. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2016
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Contest: Win a Ruben Tejada autographed baseball gift package, courtesy of Verizon
- Ruben Tejada autographed baseball
- Mets cap (official MLB World Series edition)
- Lipstick-sized phone charger
- Big League Chew gum
- Black Verizon tote
This contest is only open to readers in the continental U.S. Please enter between now and tomorrow (Friday, October 30) at 5:00 p.m. We will pick a winner at random before Game 3 of the World Series Friday.
You may remember that Verizon got me into a sweet Citi Field suite on Opening Day, and lent me a Verizion Ellipsis 8 tablet to take pictures with (my shocking shot with Mr. Met came from the camera in the tablet!) Incidentally, if you are in the market for a tablet, I highly recommend the Ellipsis 8. And don't forget the Verizon charging station at Citi Field: I have used it more than once to charge my iPhone at!
Verizon also has some tips at this link and below for baseball fans to offer a seamless mobile experience for the World Series games at Citi Field this Friday, Saturday and Sunday:.
• Keep your selfie game on point. Lose the selfie sticks out of respect for your fellow fans, but gain more “likes” with selfies that don’t just highlight your face, but include the field green and scoreboard in the background. If you’re taking the subway, snap a shot getting off the 7 train to capture the energy of the crowd before the first pitch.
• Share updates in real time with your family and friends. Love what you just saw? Tweet it, upload a picture of it and tell your friends. There is no such thing as oversharing when it comes to the championship.
• Ensure your connection is strong. Verizon has increased capacity at Citi Field by adding more sites and allocating more spectrum to LTE so customers should experience a fast and reliable connection during the series. Fans can also leverage Verizon’s free Wi-Fi in the stadium.
• Stay fully charged in the stands. Don’t let the fear of your battery running low limit your game time data usage. Pick up a Mophie Powerstation to extend the power of your device and stay in the game.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Remembering Yogi Berra from a Met fan's perspective
One of the most famous Yogi-isms came during that 1973 season, The Mets were nine games under .500 as late as the end of August, but their manager proclaimed, "it ain't over till it's over." Yogi's Mets came back to win the NL East, upset the Reds in the NLCS, and take Oakland's early-1970s dynasty to Game 7 before their season finally was over.
Yogi's memorable quotes can also be applied to the current baseball scene:
"It's deja vu all over again."
Many Met fans were muttering this the last few days as the Mets appeared in danger of another late-season collapse. But after Thursday's Met win and Washington loss, the magic number is 3, and the deja vu is going to refer that champagne celebration from 2006 SNY has been rerunning.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Sandy Alderson traded Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler for Carlos Gomez, then took back the trade, acquiring instead some guy named Cespedes. Gomez, meanwhile, is hitting .234 for Houston and has not played since September 12 due to an injured back.
"Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."
Daniel Murphy running the bases.
"Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded."
Citi Field Shake Shack
"A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore."
What happens after you invest with Bernie Madoff.
"The future ain’t what it used to be."
2015 Yankees postseason prognosis
"It gets late early out here."
Matt Harvey's innings limits.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Subway Series Game 3: Imagine if Yoenis Cespedes wanted to come out after five innings
Matt Harvey has every right to prioritize his future health and earning potential. But he can't negotiate a departure after 77 pitches of one-hit ball and claim that all he wants to do is pitch.
From Newsday's Anthony Rieber:
"More than anything, I wanted to be out there," Harvey said. "The way things were going, the tight game, the last thing I wanted to do was come out."
It was The Dark Knight at his worst. Saying things that could not possibly be further from the truth:
It may seem unfair to hold Harvey responsible for last night's 11-2 loss when he was the only Met who did his job well. If the bullpen and the defense had done their jobs, today's headlines might proclaim that the Boras/Harvey part-time pitcher plan had passed its first test.
But this plan required four innings from a Mets bullpen that has trouble handling more than two innings, and that's when Tyler Clippard is not missing time with back problems. This is the time when the starting pitcher is supposed to figuratively put the team on his back.
And that's just what Harvey did for the first five innings. On national TV, against the hated Yankees, on a day when the Met bats continued their recent quiet. If the skies had opened up after the fifth inning, Harvey would not have been brought back after a long rain delay under normal circumstances. And his quotes might not have earned Rieber's response below:
"For me, I know where I want to be and that's on the mound and in a Mets uniform."
"The last thing I want to do is not play and not pitch, especially if we get into the postseason."
For not accepting responsibility, for putting his manager and teammates in the unenviable position of having to live within the limits that Harvey and Boras put in motion, and for saying he wants to be out there when he engineered the exact opposite situation, Harvey should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Only no one in the Mets clubhouse is laughing.
Yoenis Cespedes offered to play centerfield when he came to the Mets, even though that was not his regular position. He's stopped hitting since he was hit by a pitch last Tuesday but refuses to use that as an excuse. Cespedes may end up getting some votes for National League MVP despite only joining the Mets in August. Harvey's been around all year and has had a pretty good year. But nobody is using "Harvey" and "MVP" in the same sentence.
Harvey showed last night that he can produce after a long layoff. Going forward, the Mets should just shut him down until the playoffs (or until the season-ending series with the Nats if the Mets have not yet cliinched), then only use him in games in which he announces beforehand that he wants to pitch as much as he can.
Superhero movies are box-office gold these days. But nobody wants to see "The Dark Knight Takes Himself Out of the Game."
From Newsday's Anthony Rieber:
"More than anything, I wanted to be out there," Harvey said. "The way things were going, the tight game, the last thing I wanted to do was come out."
It was The Dark Knight at his worst. Saying things that could not possibly be further from the truth:
It may seem unfair to hold Harvey responsible for last night's 11-2 loss when he was the only Met who did his job well. If the bullpen and the defense had done their jobs, today's headlines might proclaim that the Boras/Harvey part-time pitcher plan had passed its first test.
But this plan required four innings from a Mets bullpen that has trouble handling more than two innings, and that's when Tyler Clippard is not missing time with back problems. This is the time when the starting pitcher is supposed to figuratively put the team on his back.
And that's just what Harvey did for the first five innings. On national TV, against the hated Yankees, on a day when the Met bats continued their recent quiet. If the skies had opened up after the fifth inning, Harvey would not have been brought back after a long rain delay under normal circumstances. And his quotes might not have earned Rieber's response below:
"For me, I know where I want to be and that's on the mound and in a Mets uniform."
"The last thing I want to do is not play and not pitch, especially if we get into the postseason."
For not accepting responsibility, for putting his manager and teammates in the unenviable position of having to live within the limits that Harvey and Boras put in motion, and for saying he wants to be out there when he engineered the exact opposite situation, Harvey should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Only no one in the Mets clubhouse is laughing.
Yoenis Cespedes offered to play centerfield when he came to the Mets, even though that was not his regular position. He's stopped hitting since he was hit by a pitch last Tuesday but refuses to use that as an excuse. Cespedes may end up getting some votes for National League MVP despite only joining the Mets in August. Harvey's been around all year and has had a pretty good year. But nobody is using "Harvey" and "MVP" in the same sentence.
Harvey showed last night that he can produce after a long layoff. Going forward, the Mets should just shut him down until the playoffs (or until the season-ending series with the Nats if the Mets have not yet cliinched), then only use him in games in which he announces beforehand that he wants to pitch as much as he can.
Superhero movies are box-office gold these days. But nobody wants to see "The Dark Knight Takes Himself Out of the Game."
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Cespedes! Cespedes! Cespedes!
When Yoenis Cespedes won the Home Run Derby at Citi Field in 2013, the player he defeated in the final round was Bryce Harper. Harper technically won yesterday's home run battle, 2-1, but Cespedes and the Mets won the game and the sweep over Washington. Now the Nationals look done, and deadline pickup Cespedes is being talked about as an MVP candidate over Harper.
Cespedes hit 32 homers in his Derby win, and yesterday's game-winner off of hapless Washington reliever Drew Storen was his 32nd homer of 2015. He's hit 14 as a Met, along with 36 RBI and 33 runs in just 36 games.
So far, Cespedes has been far more valuable to the Mets on the road than at home. At Citi Field, he is hitting .241 with four homers and six RBI in 15 games. But check out his road numbers: .354 BA, 10 homers and 30 RBI in 21 games. So there's a bright side in the Mets probably not having home-field advantage in the playoffs.
I originally wrote the previous sentence as "if and when the Mets make the playoffs," but Squawker Lisa has complained about my newfound cockiness, so I removed the "if." Deal with it, Lisa, the Mets are going to be playing in a real playoff series, while the Yankees look like they will be in a one-game elimination against Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers. But at least Stephen Drew has gotten his average over the Mendoza line.
But forget about the Yankees, at least until the Subway Series in a week. Forget about the Matt Harvey circus. All that matters is Cespedes, Cespedes, Cespedes!
Cespedes hit 32 homers in his Derby win, and yesterday's game-winner off of hapless Washington reliever Drew Storen was his 32nd homer of 2015. He's hit 14 as a Met, along with 36 RBI and 33 runs in just 36 games.
So far, Cespedes has been far more valuable to the Mets on the road than at home. At Citi Field, he is hitting .241 with four homers and six RBI in 15 games. But check out his road numbers: .354 BA, 10 homers and 30 RBI in 21 games. So there's a bright side in the Mets probably not having home-field advantage in the playoffs.
I originally wrote the previous sentence as "if and when the Mets make the playoffs," but Squawker Lisa has complained about my newfound cockiness, so I removed the "if." Deal with it, Lisa, the Mets are going to be playing in a real playoff series, while the Yankees look like they will be in a one-game elimination against Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers. But at least Stephen Drew has gotten his average over the Mendoza line.
But forget about the Yankees, at least until the Subway Series in a week. Forget about the Matt Harvey circus. All that matters is Cespedes, Cespedes, Cespedes!
Thursday, August 13, 2015
A tale of two Squawkers: I am cranky about my Yankees, while Jon is cheering the Mets' rally parakeet
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| Exclusive: The view inside Squawkers headquarters after the Yankees lost. |
So much for that.
Not only did the Yankees lose -- again -- but the Blue Jays won -- again. So the Yankees are now out of first place. On July 28, they had a seven-game lead in the division, which is now gone, gone, gone, thanks to their losing streak, and the Blue Jays' 10-game winning streak.
And I was in too irritated a mood after the game to read my Oprah magazine. No fun. (An aside: this issue is a makeover edition. Note to O Magazine editors: I have lost almost 50 pounds so far, and much of my clothing no longer fits. If you would like to feature a sassy blogger in a future issue, and get her some new clothing, I'm all ears!)
Anyhow, I wonder if I jinxed the Yankees somehow. After all, I went to see the Yankees in person last Tuesday, where they beat the Red Sox 13-3. They even had one nine-run inning! Since then, they have only scored nine runs in the next seven games. Yikes!
Also, the Mets won again. And not only did the Mets win, but they now have a rally parakeet, something Squawker Jon couldn't wait to tell me about!
The parakeet's bright yellow coloring matched the armband padding that Yoenis Cespedes was wearing last night. And that was no accident -- he said he spotted the parakeet before the game and chose the padding to match the bird! (What, does he have padding in every single color, just in case?) Of course, now that Cespedes hit his first home run as a Met while wearing it, he will have to keep on doing so!
Incidentally, is it Citi Field or the Queens Zoo? They have had a menagerie of animals over the years: a cat on the field on Opening Day 2009, a raccoon in the weight room, the chicken named Little Jerry Seinfeld.
Speaking of animals, Squawker Jon has turned from Eeyore to Tigger in the last few weeks, thanks to his Mets winning, and I do not like it one bit!
An example: I posted the above image of Lucy on Facebook (a FB friend sent it to me when I said I was cranky over the state of the Yankees!), commenting that this was "an exclusive look inside Subway Squawkers headquarters after the Yankees dropped out of first place tonight." Jon responded: "Lisa, here's a longer look inside Squawker headquarters after the Yankees fell out of first and the Mets won again," and posted this video:
Good grief!
Monday, July 27, 2015
Maybe Sandy Alderson is a baseball revolutionary after all
Take the worst-hitting team in the league, add two fringe players and a prospect generally considered to be not ready, and in their first game together the Mets score 15 runs. Pretty good initial return to baseball activities from Sandy Alderson!
I was away all weekend and did not get to see any of Saturday's or Sunday's games. These days, you can keep checking the score on your phone, but I couldn't help but think of what my reaction would have been had I found out about the Mets' unbelievable outburst the old-fashioned way. In the early days of the Mets, they scored 19 runs in a game and the story went that when one fan was told this, his response was, "Did they win?" If I had asked someone Saturday night how the Mets did and had been told that they scored 15 runs, my response would have been, "I mean today, not for the week."
And if Squawker Lisa had called with such an update, I would have told her, yeah, right, next you'll be telling me that A-Rod homered three times today.
And, in the days before box scores in your pocket, if someone had told me that not only did the Mets score 15 runs, but the starting pitcher for the Dodgers was a guy named Zach, I really would have thought I was hallucinating, Of course, it was Zach Lee pitching Saturday, not Zack Greinke. Lee was making major league debut, but considering that the Mets were already no-hit by an unheralded rookie this year (Chris Heston), it's still impressive.
I wonder if the Dodgers figured they would ease Lee into the majors by letting him pitch against the hapless Mets offense. Now his next start is scheduled against Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Angels. Good luck!
The Mets offense returned to Earth against Greinke Sunday, though they did end his shutout streak at 45 2/3 innings (on an RBI by Jacob deGrom, naturally.)And we went back to the typical story with sensational pitching by Met starters: "How many runs did deGrom give up today? Zero. Did he win? Of course not."
But the Mets did win, even after Jeurys Familia blew the lead in the ninth. It was a great weekend, and I'm sorry I missed it. When was the last time I could say that?
I was away all weekend and did not get to see any of Saturday's or Sunday's games. These days, you can keep checking the score on your phone, but I couldn't help but think of what my reaction would have been had I found out about the Mets' unbelievable outburst the old-fashioned way. In the early days of the Mets, they scored 19 runs in a game and the story went that when one fan was told this, his response was, "Did they win?" If I had asked someone Saturday night how the Mets did and had been told that they scored 15 runs, my response would have been, "I mean today, not for the week."
And if Squawker Lisa had called with such an update, I would have told her, yeah, right, next you'll be telling me that A-Rod homered three times today.
And, in the days before box scores in your pocket, if someone had told me that not only did the Mets score 15 runs, but the starting pitcher for the Dodgers was a guy named Zach, I really would have thought I was hallucinating, Of course, it was Zach Lee pitching Saturday, not Zack Greinke. Lee was making major league debut, but considering that the Mets were already no-hit by an unheralded rookie this year (Chris Heston), it's still impressive.
I wonder if the Dodgers figured they would ease Lee into the majors by letting him pitch against the hapless Mets offense. Now his next start is scheduled against Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Angels. Good luck!
The Mets offense returned to Earth against Greinke Sunday, though they did end his shutout streak at 45 2/3 innings (on an RBI by Jacob deGrom, naturally.)And we went back to the typical story with sensational pitching by Met starters: "How many runs did deGrom give up today? Zero. Did he win? Of course not."
But the Mets did win, even after Jeurys Familia blew the lead in the ninth. It was a great weekend, and I'm sorry I missed it. When was the last time I could say that?
Monday, July 13, 2015
Can Captain Kirk and the Mets beam up a playoff spot?
The pitching staff has Matt Harvey, the Dark Knight, and Noah Syndergaard, aka Thor. On Sunday, Captain Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the first player in Mets history to hit three homers in one home game. If only the payroll weren't the size of Ant-Man.
Nieuwenhuis hitting three homers is like something out of the miracle year of 1969, when Al Weis, who had two homers in the regular season, homered in the World Series-clinching Game 5. A more appropriate Star Trek nickname for Nieuwenhuis would be Redshirt, after the anonymous member of the landing party who often gets killed. This year alone, Nieuwenhuis was dropped by the Mets and picked up and dropped by the Angels before ending up back with the Mets.
In recent games, the Mets have also won games with the help of a Harvey homer and a four-RBI debut from Steven Matz. Great pitching and timely hitting from unexpected sources. Could this be 1969 all over again?
As a longtime Met fan, I can only have one answer for that - no.
Along with Weis, Donn Clendenon also homered in Game 5. Clendenon was acquired at the trading deadline that season to bolster the middle of the lineup. He went on to be World Series MVP.
If the Mets are able to acquire a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter at the 2015 trading deadline, the outlook for the rest of the season will obviously look a lot better. But even if such a hitter were available, and the Mets could land him without surrendering a top pitcher, two big ifs, I won't believe this franchise is willing or able to take on payroll until I see it happen. And in five years, Sandy Alderson has shown the ability to acquire prospects, but not established players.
As Adam Rubin of ESPN noted, the Mets have now scored their last 15 runs with home runs, after recently failing to homer in nine straight games. This would be unsustainable if the lineup were made up of power hitters like Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton, much less than if you are relying on hitting heroics from the likes of Nieuwenhuis and the pitching staff.
At least Lucas Duda hit two homers against Arizona. A return to last year's form for Duda would probably help as much as any deadline acquisition.
As for Nieuwenhuis, I hope he has more days that bring up memories of 1969. But 1969 was also the year that Captain Kirk's original Star Trek was canceled.
Nieuwenhuis hitting three homers is like something out of the miracle year of 1969, when Al Weis, who had two homers in the regular season, homered in the World Series-clinching Game 5. A more appropriate Star Trek nickname for Nieuwenhuis would be Redshirt, after the anonymous member of the landing party who often gets killed. This year alone, Nieuwenhuis was dropped by the Mets and picked up and dropped by the Angels before ending up back with the Mets.
In recent games, the Mets have also won games with the help of a Harvey homer and a four-RBI debut from Steven Matz. Great pitching and timely hitting from unexpected sources. Could this be 1969 all over again?
As a longtime Met fan, I can only have one answer for that - no.
Along with Weis, Donn Clendenon also homered in Game 5. Clendenon was acquired at the trading deadline that season to bolster the middle of the lineup. He went on to be World Series MVP.
If the Mets are able to acquire a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter at the 2015 trading deadline, the outlook for the rest of the season will obviously look a lot better. But even if such a hitter were available, and the Mets could land him without surrendering a top pitcher, two big ifs, I won't believe this franchise is willing or able to take on payroll until I see it happen. And in five years, Sandy Alderson has shown the ability to acquire prospects, but not established players.
As Adam Rubin of ESPN noted, the Mets have now scored their last 15 runs with home runs, after recently failing to homer in nine straight games. This would be unsustainable if the lineup were made up of power hitters like Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton, much less than if you are relying on hitting heroics from the likes of Nieuwenhuis and the pitching staff.
At least Lucas Duda hit two homers against Arizona. A return to last year's form for Duda would probably help as much as any deadline acquisition.
As for Nieuwenhuis, I hope he has more days that bring up memories of 1969. But 1969 was also the year that Captain Kirk's original Star Trek was canceled.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
My day seeing Buster Posey, Matt Harvey, and some other assorted shenanigans
I had kind of a busy day yesterday, so I am going to write about it in two very long Squawks. This one will be about the crazy fun and weird stuff of the day, including meeting and interviewing Buster Posey and watching Matt Harvey warm up for the game from about 10-15 feet away, something that got me called a jinx yet again! A later Squawk will be about the honor of attending the Mets' 31st Annual New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund Game and Family Day at Citi Field. Let's get started!
My day started out in a very weird way, when I saw the following headline from the Staten Island Advance: "Great Kills dentist accused of exposing self to teen employee." It was my former dentist! Fortunately, I only went to Dr. Alan M. Kratenstein briefly last year. But, as somebody else pointed out to me, this dentist's hand was in my mouth, which made me feel sick for the rest of the morning. Oy.
After a few hours at work, I headed to Topps headquarters to see superstar San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey in the flesh. (Thanks to my friend Joe Favorito for the invite!) Posey appeared at a presser there for bloggers to promote the fact that he is the baseball card company's new brand ambassador. And talk about perfect timing, given that he just caught a no-hitter the night before!
You hear a lot about how Posey, who has three World Series rings in five years and an NL MVP award, and who has been voted the new Face of Baseball, is the new Derek Jeter. I actually think Posey is much more charming than Jeter, who too often seemed to talk in a monotone with dealing with the media, as if he were at a dentist visit!
Posey has real star quality. Even if you knew nothing about baseball, you would know that he was somebody, the way he carries himself. Very charismatic.
Anyhow, he talked about why he signed up to promote Topps. He said it was "really special" to represent the brand. Posey said that baseball cards are "something the younger generation can and should get excited about." He also noted that his grandfather is a big card collector.
Someone asked Posey about what it was like to see himself on a baseball card for the first time. He called it a "cool moment" and "a little bit surreal," and said he would always remember that day. He also talked about how his three-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, act about seeing their father on a baseball card!
Of course, many of the questions were about Chris Heston's no-hitter from the night before, and for what it is like in general to catch no-hitters (Posey has caught three, one away from tying Jason Varitek, something somebody pointed out.)
Posey said that while a no-hitter is a "rare feat" is is "unique in its own way," there is also a "commonality in no-hitters" -- that the pitcher and catcher "are able to get on same page" and "keep that rhythm." Posey said the challenge was to be efficient. He also had a lot of praise for Chris Heston. Somebody asked him if he felt bad that he didn't catch one of Tim Lincecum's two no-hitters Posey had a very humble response, saying that there was no guarantee that Lincecum would have had a no-hitter that day with Posey as catcher!
I got the opportunity to ask Posey a question. I asked what it was about the Giants having so many more no-hitters than other franchises, and noted that they had four no-hitters in four years, and 17 no-hitters in all. Posey first responded by pointing out that the team has had five no-hitters in seven seasons. Heh! (I didn't even think of Jonathan Sanchez's in 2009 because that was the pre-Posey era!)
My fellow Yankee fans will appreciate who Posey said "gets a ton of credit" for the team having so many no-hitters. That would be pitching coach Dave Righetti, who had a no-hitter of his own with the Yankees in 1983. He also credited Righetti as being "instrumental" in his progress as a catcher.
Posey was also asked about Matt Harvey, who he called a "great pitcher" with "great stuff," and said that "we know we have our hands full" facing him last night. (Well, that didn't really happen, as you will hear shortly!)
Posey said he is passionate about baseball and said that he has no specific goals, other than to "just win." Although he did then say that he would like to set the record for catcher with most rings. (Yogi Berra has 10, though, so Posey's got a way to go on that!)
A young reporter from SI for Kids then asked him a lot of questions. The best one was what superhero power Posey would want. He said to fly, as he doesn't like to sit in traffic! He also said his favorite move was Dumb and Dumber.
Then Posey did a ceremonial opening of the new Topps Series 2 set for 2015. The very first card he saw? Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension for PEDs. Everybody laughed over this. There should have also been sad trombone music!
We also got to hear about Topps' new Series 2 line of baseball cards for 2015, which include Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant's rookie card. They also have some new First Pitch cards, featuring people who have thrown out first pitches at baseball games. This includes "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm and Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead. Talk about cards that were tailor-made for yours truly! (But where was the card for 50 Cent's first pitch?)
I got a picture of the Dead baseball card, but it only showed the front side of the card. So what was on the back of the card? Someone I work with wondered: "Does the back of the card list different drugs (think LSD instead of RBI) and quantities per season?"
So I threw the question out to my Facebook friends, and received responses like: "Number of insufferable drum solos by tour," as well as "Road Trips (not W-L columns, in this case it's Good and Bad), visits to Dock Ellis' house, Toking Average, Bong Hits, Lyric Errors, etc." Other responses included "Number of times hallucinations involving fabulous furry freak brothers" and "Most joints rolled during one tour." Squawker Jon thought the Dead cards should be scratch and sniff.
When I was at Topps headquarters, I also got to say hello to Topps staffer Chris Vaccaro, who I knew from our days at the Daily News. And I got to talk to Steve Keane, my fellow Staten Islander and blogger at the Eddie Kranepool Society. Also made a new friend -- a young woman named Brandon from FanDuel.com. My phone's camera went out of whack during part of the event, so she was nice enough to share some of her Buster Posey photos with me!
Anyhow, I went back to work after this, and then headed to Citi Field in the late afternoon to go to the Answer the Call benefit game (details on that in a future Squawk.) I got to the media check-in at 5:15 p.m., as I was supposed to, but there was a snafu. Even though I had RSVPed, and gotten written confirmation on the RSVP, my name was not on the list. This could have been fixed in two minutes if the Mets' young receptionist hadn't been a (rhymes with witch). Even though I showed her this RSVP information, she simply would not listen to me or do anything about it. I wasn't surprised at how rude and unprofessional she was, given that her tank top and miniskirt getup was a very unprofessional workplace outfit, unless your workplace is on the pole!
Because of her incompetence, I had to wait 45 minutes in the media check-in area until the Mets PR person I was dealing with contacted the Mets communications director -- the same person who got us access to Citi Field for our Guideposts Spartan Race photo shoot -- to get the situation fixed, and get me into the ballpark.
Fortunately, it all worked out in the end, and I was able to get some very moving quotes from people at the picnic, including getting to talk to Rusty Staub, the founder of the benefit fund. More on that later today.
Something funny happened, though, while I was cooling my heels waiting. I saw an older gentleman with a baseball cap on his head come up to the receptionist and say that he was picking up tickets for himself, Tommy Lasorda, and Joe Torre. He then smiled at me while I was waiting -- he must have noticed how stressed I looked. His smile made me relax a little and feel better. I smiled back.
Anyhow, I saw Lasorda come in after that, and I said hello. Was glad I didn't see Joe Torre, because I would have asked him things like "Why didn't you bunt on Curt Schilling?" and "Why did you pitch Jeff Weaver in the World Series?" and "Why did you hate A-Rod so much?" and it wouldn't have ended well!
Anyhow, later on that night, I saw that same smiling, kindly man talking on the Mets broadcast with Torre during the game, talking about prostate cancer awareness. The man was billionaire Michael Milken. How funny is that?
As for the game itself, I got to see Matt Harvey warm up and was about 10-15 feet behind him -- the picnic area was right behind the bullpen. He has a real swagger to him. Like Posey, Harvey has true star quality. But while Posey has an aw-shucks demeanor, Harvey is all strut.
I joked on Facebook that I was scouting him for the Yankees, since we all know he will be in pinstripes at some point!
Of course, seeing him in the flesh, and staying for the game, meant that I got the blame for being a jinx to Matt Harvey and the Mets. Squawker Jon pointed out that Harvey had never lost a game in which the Mets had scored four runs or more. That is, until now!
I only stayed until the middle of the sixth inning for the game, but the damage was done. Squawker Jon (and others!) blame me for Harvey's poor performance!
During the game, I walked around the park, and also had a fabulous Patron margarita, as well as some carnitas tacos (without eating the shells.) Also got to meet Facebook friend Brad Kurtzberg at the game. Nice guy!
As for Harvey, it does make me laugh how irate Jon was. He texted me: "What did u do to Harvey?" Hey, don't blame me!
In all, it was a very busy day! Will write about the second half of the day later on this Thursday.
My day started out in a very weird way, when I saw the following headline from the Staten Island Advance: "Great Kills dentist accused of exposing self to teen employee." It was my former dentist! Fortunately, I only went to Dr. Alan M. Kratenstein briefly last year. But, as somebody else pointed out to me, this dentist's hand was in my mouth, which made me feel sick for the rest of the morning. Oy.
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| Buster Posey: more charismatic than Derek Jeter |
You hear a lot about how Posey, who has three World Series rings in five years and an NL MVP award, and who has been voted the new Face of Baseball, is the new Derek Jeter. I actually think Posey is much more charming than Jeter, who too often seemed to talk in a monotone with dealing with the media, as if he were at a dentist visit!
Posey has real star quality. Even if you knew nothing about baseball, you would know that he was somebody, the way he carries himself. Very charismatic.
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| Posey opens up the Topps baseball card box set. First card he sees? Ervin Santana. Heh. |
Someone asked Posey about what it was like to see himself on a baseball card for the first time. He called it a "cool moment" and "a little bit surreal," and said he would always remember that day. He also talked about how his three-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, act about seeing their father on a baseball card!
Of course, many of the questions were about Chris Heston's no-hitter from the night before, and for what it is like in general to catch no-hitters (Posey has caught three, one away from tying Jason Varitek, something somebody pointed out.)
Posey said that while a no-hitter is a "rare feat" is is "unique in its own way," there is also a "commonality in no-hitters" -- that the pitcher and catcher "are able to get on same page" and "keep that rhythm." Posey said the challenge was to be efficient. He also had a lot of praise for Chris Heston. Somebody asked him if he felt bad that he didn't catch one of Tim Lincecum's two no-hitters Posey had a very humble response, saying that there was no guarantee that Lincecum would have had a no-hitter that day with Posey as catcher!
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| This is the Ervin Santana card that Posey touched. I took it home with me. |
My fellow Yankee fans will appreciate who Posey said "gets a ton of credit" for the team having so many no-hitters. That would be pitching coach Dave Righetti, who had a no-hitter of his own with the Yankees in 1983. He also credited Righetti as being "instrumental" in his progress as a catcher.
Posey was also asked about Matt Harvey, who he called a "great pitcher" with "great stuff," and said that "we know we have our hands full" facing him last night. (Well, that didn't really happen, as you will hear shortly!)
Posey said he is passionate about baseball and said that he has no specific goals, other than to "just win." Although he did then say that he would like to set the record for catcher with most rings. (Yogi Berra has 10, though, so Posey's got a way to go on that!)
A young reporter from SI for Kids then asked him a lot of questions. The best one was what superhero power Posey would want. He said to fly, as he doesn't like to sit in traffic! He also said his favorite move was Dumb and Dumber.
Then Posey did a ceremonial opening of the new Topps Series 2 set for 2015. The very first card he saw? Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension for PEDs. Everybody laughed over this. There should have also been sad trombone music!
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| Here is the front of the card. What is on the back? |
I got a picture of the Dead baseball card, but it only showed the front side of the card. So what was on the back of the card? Someone I work with wondered: "Does the back of the card list different drugs (think LSD instead of RBI) and quantities per season?"
So I threw the question out to my Facebook friends, and received responses like: "Number of insufferable drum solos by tour," as well as "Road Trips (not W-L columns, in this case it's Good and Bad), visits to Dock Ellis' house, Toking Average, Bong Hits, Lyric Errors, etc." Other responses included "Number of times hallucinations involving fabulous furry freak brothers" and "Most joints rolled during one tour." Squawker Jon thought the Dead cards should be scratch and sniff.
When I was at Topps headquarters, I also got to say hello to Topps staffer Chris Vaccaro, who I knew from our days at the Daily News. And I got to talk to Steve Keane, my fellow Staten Islander and blogger at the Eddie Kranepool Society. Also made a new friend -- a young woman named Brandon from FanDuel.com. My phone's camera went out of whack during part of the event, so she was nice enough to share some of her Buster Posey photos with me!
Anyhow, I went back to work after this, and then headed to Citi Field in the late afternoon to go to the Answer the Call benefit game (details on that in a future Squawk.) I got to the media check-in at 5:15 p.m., as I was supposed to, but there was a snafu. Even though I had RSVPed, and gotten written confirmation on the RSVP, my name was not on the list. This could have been fixed in two minutes if the Mets' young receptionist hadn't been a (rhymes with witch). Even though I showed her this RSVP information, she simply would not listen to me or do anything about it. I wasn't surprised at how rude and unprofessional she was, given that her tank top and miniskirt getup was a very unprofessional workplace outfit, unless your workplace is on the pole!
Because of her incompetence, I had to wait 45 minutes in the media check-in area until the Mets PR person I was dealing with contacted the Mets communications director -- the same person who got us access to Citi Field for our Guideposts Spartan Race photo shoot -- to get the situation fixed, and get me into the ballpark.
Fortunately, it all worked out in the end, and I was able to get some very moving quotes from people at the picnic, including getting to talk to Rusty Staub, the founder of the benefit fund. More on that later today.
Something funny happened, though, while I was cooling my heels waiting. I saw an older gentleman with a baseball cap on his head come up to the receptionist and say that he was picking up tickets for himself, Tommy Lasorda, and Joe Torre. He then smiled at me while I was waiting -- he must have noticed how stressed I looked. His smile made me relax a little and feel better. I smiled back.
Anyhow, I saw Lasorda come in after that, and I said hello. Was glad I didn't see Joe Torre, because I would have asked him things like "Why didn't you bunt on Curt Schilling?" and "Why did you pitch Jeff Weaver in the World Series?" and "Why did you hate A-Rod so much?" and it wouldn't have ended well!
Anyhow, later on that night, I saw that same smiling, kindly man talking on the Mets broadcast with Torre during the game, talking about prostate cancer awareness. The man was billionaire Michael Milken. How funny is that?
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| Matt Harvey, future Yankee |
I joked on Facebook that I was scouting him for the Yankees, since we all know he will be in pinstripes at some point!
Of course, seeing him in the flesh, and staying for the game, meant that I got the blame for being a jinx to Matt Harvey and the Mets. Squawker Jon pointed out that Harvey had never lost a game in which the Mets had scored four runs or more. That is, until now!
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| Me at the game, with a bad selfie. Jon said I look very startled! |
During the game, I walked around the park, and also had a fabulous Patron margarita, as well as some carnitas tacos (without eating the shells.) Also got to meet Facebook friend Brad Kurtzberg at the game. Nice guy!
As for Harvey, it does make me laugh how irate Jon was. He texted me: "What did u do to Harvey?" Hey, don't blame me!
In all, it was a very busy day! Will write about the second half of the day later on this Thursday.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Subway Series Wrapup: Get out the brooms!
Squawker Lisa, I see you somehow can't find the time to write about your Yankees. So let me help you out.
The Yankees were swept four straight games.
By the Mets.
The same Mets who had lost 25 of their last 36 games. The Mets who had lost five of their last six going into the Subway Series, allowing an average of five runs per game.
The Yankees scored a total of seven runs in the Subway Series.
The Mets set a team record for most strikeouts in three games without a walk over the last three games - 34 strikeouts and zero walks.
Matt Harvey pitched only one of those games.
The other two were pitched by Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner. After beating the Yankees in the Bronx, Gee's road ERA is down to 7.76. Hefner's road ERA is down to 6.11.
Ike Davis had four RBI in the series. He has one other RBI in May.
The Yankees are now 11th in the American League in runs scored. Their pitching has carried them so far, particularly the relief pitching.
The Yankees' top two relievers, Mariano Rivera and David Robertson, both suffered losses in the series.
But don't worry, Lisa, Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are returning! Sure, Teixeira generally forgets how to hit in his first month of the season. And Youk, who was so-so in April, should find a way to get back on the DL before too long. Meanwhile, Lyle Overbay will probably have to leave the lineup despite being second on the Yankees in RBI.
So I can't blame you if you decide to take a well-timed trip to the DL and ease your way back in to having to write about the Yankees by blogging on flat ground.
Well-swept flat ground.
The Yankees were swept four straight games.
By the Mets.
The same Mets who had lost 25 of their last 36 games. The Mets who had lost five of their last six going into the Subway Series, allowing an average of five runs per game.
The Yankees scored a total of seven runs in the Subway Series.
The Mets set a team record for most strikeouts in three games without a walk over the last three games - 34 strikeouts and zero walks.
Matt Harvey pitched only one of those games.
The other two were pitched by Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner. After beating the Yankees in the Bronx, Gee's road ERA is down to 7.76. Hefner's road ERA is down to 6.11.
Ike Davis had four RBI in the series. He has one other RBI in May.
The Yankees are now 11th in the American League in runs scored. Their pitching has carried them so far, particularly the relief pitching.
The Yankees' top two relievers, Mariano Rivera and David Robertson, both suffered losses in the series.
But don't worry, Lisa, Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are returning! Sure, Teixeira generally forgets how to hit in his first month of the season. And Youk, who was so-so in April, should find a way to get back on the DL before too long. Meanwhile, Lyle Overbay will probably have to leave the lineup despite being second on the Yankees in RBI.
So I can't blame you if you decide to take a well-timed trip to the DL and ease your way back in to having to write about the Yankees by blogging on flat ground.
Well-swept flat ground.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Subway Series Game 3: Mets rule the rails
The Mets clinched the 2013 Subway Series with a 9-4 thumping of the Yankees. It was only the third time since May 3 the Mets had scored as many as five runs in a game. Look on the bright side, Squawker Lisa - at least David Phelps got more outs than Mariano did on Tuesday!
Jeremy Hefner was 0-5 going into the game, including two losses to the lowly Marlins. The Mets were 0-10 in games Hefner started. When the Mets scored five runs in the top of the first, I figured it would be one of those games in which the Yankees would come back with several runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Instead, Hefner allowed just one run through five innings before giving up a couple more in the sixth.
Even the cheap Yankee stadium homers are bouncing the Mets' way, with Marlon Byrd hitting one off the top of the right field wall.
So much for the Yankees' current roster of castoffs and fill-ins massively overachieving. But at least the Yankees do have Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis expected back on Friday in time to face the Red Sox. What, Squawker Lisa, not rushing them back tonight to try to prevent Dillon Gee from completing a sweep?
Gee is 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA this season. His road ERA is 9.97. I'm not really sure who Vidal Nuno is, but he does have a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings so far. So the Yankees should have a good shot at avoiding a sweep, but this Subway Series has clearly defied predictions so far. Let's Go Mets!
Jeremy Hefner was 0-5 going into the game, including two losses to the lowly Marlins. The Mets were 0-10 in games Hefner started. When the Mets scored five runs in the top of the first, I figured it would be one of those games in which the Yankees would come back with several runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Instead, Hefner allowed just one run through five innings before giving up a couple more in the sixth.
Even the cheap Yankee stadium homers are bouncing the Mets' way, with Marlon Byrd hitting one off the top of the right field wall.
So much for the Yankees' current roster of castoffs and fill-ins massively overachieving. But at least the Yankees do have Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis expected back on Friday in time to face the Red Sox. What, Squawker Lisa, not rushing them back tonight to try to prevent Dillon Gee from completing a sweep?
Gee is 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA this season. His road ERA is 9.97. I'm not really sure who Vidal Nuno is, but he does have a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings so far. So the Yankees should have a good shot at avoiding a sweep, but this Subway Series has clearly defied predictions so far. Let's Go Mets!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Subway Series Game 1 - Gardner goes Endy, but Mets win
When Brett Gardner pulled an Endy Chavez and robbed Daniel Murphy of a two-run homer, the Mets appeared headed for another ignominious defeat at the hands of the Yankees. But the Mets overcame Gardner's play of the year, thanks to David Wright's game-tying homer and Murphy's game winning hit. Jon Niese lowered his ERA to 4.40, which is pretty good considering it was 5.93 on May 11.Bobby Parnell picked up his fifth save in May.
With Niese, Wright, Murphy and Parnell spearheading the win, the Mets looked as if they might have the makings of a good core after all. (Let's not talk about Ike Davis' three strikeouts.)
The Mets knocked the Yankees out of first place tonight, and now they go for a Citi Field sweep with Matt Harvey making his first start against the Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda has faced the Mets three times at Citi Field and is 0-3 with a 6.19 ERA. He also lost his only start at Shea Stadium, allowing six runs in 2 2/3 innings. All of these starts came when he was with the Dodgers. The only current Met to homer off of Kuroda is Davis.
Squawker Lisa and I are going to the game.We've already seen Harvey win once this season and I'm hoping he can continue to show that the most exciting young player in the Subway Series is a member of the Mets.
With Niese, Wright, Murphy and Parnell spearheading the win, the Mets looked as if they might have the makings of a good core after all. (Let's not talk about Ike Davis' three strikeouts.)
The Mets knocked the Yankees out of first place tonight, and now they go for a Citi Field sweep with Matt Harvey making his first start against the Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda has faced the Mets three times at Citi Field and is 0-3 with a 6.19 ERA. He also lost his only start at Shea Stadium, allowing six runs in 2 2/3 innings. All of these starts came when he was with the Dodgers. The only current Met to homer off of Kuroda is Davis.
Squawker Lisa and I are going to the game.We've already seen Harvey win once this season and I'm hoping he can continue to show that the most exciting young player in the Subway Series is a member of the Mets.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Yeah, baby, believe it! Johan Santana pitches a no-hitter for the Mets!
Finally! I am happy for Squawker Jon and his fellow Mets fans that their franchise finally has a no-hitter. And I'm especially glad it was Johan Santana, one of the game's great pitchers. I even got a little teary-eyed watching it, and I have no heart!
However, this means that much like I helpfully reminded Red Sox friends about 1918 before the 2004 ALCS, I now have one less thing to mock Jon about. You see, every single time an MLB pitcher has taken a no-hitter into the eighth or ninth, I always am sure to tell Squawker Jon that the Mets never had a no-hitter. You know, in case he forgot!
Like when Justin Verlander nearly had his third no-hitter a few weeks ago. I informed Jon about how those no-hitters were more than his franchise ever had. I also have helpfully teased him over the years about how many ex-Mets have hurled no-hitters, making sure to remind him about how Dwight Gooden and David Cone did it as Yankees!
But last night was a little different. I watched the last three innings of Johan Santana's no-hitter instead of the Yankee game, as soon as Jon called me in the sixth to tell me what was what. Jon feared that Terry Collins may pull Santana even if he were pitching a no-hitter, due to the high pitch count. I told him flat-out that there was no way that Santana was going to allow that to happen. After all, this wasn't some rookie on the mound. It was Johan Santana! I just couldn't see any way that Santana was going to willingly leave the game. There would have been blood on the mound!
All teasing and trash talk aside, I really wanted Santana and the Mets to finally get that no-hitter, even if it means less ammunition when it comes to mocking my Met fan blogging partner. Until last night, the most historic thing to happen at CitiField was when Mariano Rivera got his 500th save on Mets' turf, a game Jon and I were at, and an event I love to remind Jon about, especially when K-Rod walked Mariano!
Now the Mets have their own no-hitter, on their own field. Good for them. Now I will have to find something else to mock Squawker Jon about!
Now the Mets have their own no-hitter, on their own field. Good for them. Now I will have to find something else to mock Squawker Jon about!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Yes, we are showing up at Citi Field to see Jose Reyes' return
While "showing up at Citi Field" does not quite have the same ring as "showing up at Shea," Squawker Jon and I are going to be at Citi Field tonight for Jose Reyes' return to Flushing. Jon is showing up because he is a Reyes fan. I am showing up because I can't resist a chance to stick it to the Mets for not even making an offer to their best position player of the last decade (yes, Reyes is better than David Wright!)
Anyhow, we will be at the first Citi Tuesday at the ballpark. The folks at Citibank sent us information on what that entails. Here is the information we received. If you are a Citi customer, you are eligible to participate:
CITI TO INTRODUCE “CITI TUESDAYS” ADDED VALUE SPECIALS FOR METS FANS WHO ARE CITI CARDHOLDERS
New Season-Long Promotion to Offer Citi Customers and Mets Fans Rewards and Savings During Each Tuesday of the Season Beginning April 24
A Citi Tuesdays information booth will be set up by the Shea Bridge at Citi Field every Tuesday for fans to learn about the special offers. Citi customers who show their Citi credit or debit card at the booth will receive a $10 gift card (supplies are limited, offered on a first come first served basis) valid at Citi Field retail stores, concessions, restaurants, clubs, in-seat service and ticket window locations. Other Citi Tuesday rewards and benefits include:
· 10% off Mets Tuesday game day walk-up ticket purchases made with a Citi credit or debit card at Citi Field, while supplies last.
· A free gift for fans who make a purchase of $75 or more with their Citi credit or debit card, after all other discounts have been applied, at Citi Field retail locations during Tuesday games.
· Special access to the Acela and Caesars Clubs for Citi cardholders and a guest who visit the Citi Information Booth by Shea Bridge. Access is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
· A complimentary dessert of their choice for fans dining in the Acela and Delta Clubs with the purchase of one entrée with a Citi credit or debit card with a maximum of two desserts per table.
· 50,000 ThankYou points to be given away to one lucky fan during Tuesday home games. All fans in attendance are eligible.
· And all season long, 10% off purchases Monday through Thursday and 5% off purchases made from Friday through Sunday when using a Citi credit or debit card at Citi Field retail locations.
Anyhow, we will be at the first Citi Tuesday at the ballpark. The folks at Citibank sent us information on what that entails. Here is the information we received. If you are a Citi customer, you are eligible to participate:
CITI TO INTRODUCE “CITI TUESDAYS” ADDED VALUE SPECIALS FOR METS FANS WHO ARE CITI CARDHOLDERS
New Season-Long Promotion to Offer Citi Customers and Mets Fans Rewards and Savings During Each Tuesday of the Season Beginning April 24
A Citi Tuesdays information booth will be set up by the Shea Bridge at Citi Field every Tuesday for fans to learn about the special offers. Citi customers who show their Citi credit or debit card at the booth will receive a $10 gift card (supplies are limited, offered on a first come first served basis) valid at Citi Field retail stores, concessions, restaurants, clubs, in-seat service and ticket window locations. Other Citi Tuesday rewards and benefits include:
· 10% off Mets Tuesday game day walk-up ticket purchases made with a Citi credit or debit card at Citi Field, while supplies last.
· A free gift for fans who make a purchase of $75 or more with their Citi credit or debit card, after all other discounts have been applied, at Citi Field retail locations during Tuesday games.
· Special access to the Acela and Caesars Clubs for Citi cardholders and a guest who visit the Citi Information Booth by Shea Bridge. Access is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
· A complimentary dessert of their choice for fans dining in the Acela and Delta Clubs with the purchase of one entrée with a Citi credit or debit card with a maximum of two desserts per table.
· 50,000 ThankYou points to be given away to one lucky fan during Tuesday home games. All fans in attendance are eligible.
· And all season long, 10% off purchases Monday through Thursday and 5% off purchases made from Friday through Sunday when using a Citi credit or debit card at Citi Field retail locations.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Honor Chipper Jones? How about with a gift certificate to Hooters?
Sorry, Mets fans, for jinxing your team. (Well, not really, but I have to be nice!) Squawker Jon is right -- I am the Citi Field jinx!
But when it comes to making dopey moves, your team doesn't need any help. Like the reported notion for the Mets planning to somehow honor Chipper (Larry) Jones in his last season. Why would you give a moment's tribute to somebody who mocked your team by naming his child Shea, and who has kicked your team's fannies ten ways to Tuesday? When I wrote on my Facebook page that the Mets were going to do something to commemorate Chipper's career, even Yankee fans were outraged. More than one said that it would be like the Bombers honoring David Ortiz for his career!
You guys have one retired player number in 50 years, and you're going to do something to honor Chipper? Really? If your team does so, I strongly suggest giving him a gift certificate to Hooters (Google Chipper Jones and Hooters for the details!), coupled with a showing of "The Three Stooges," with everybody chanting "Lar-ry!"
What I remember most about the Mets first post 9/11 game at home was not Mike Piazza's home run, or Liza Minnelli singing "New York, New York." It was how jarring it was to see Mets players hug Chipper Jones! Please, keep the hate. Don't do anything to honor this clown!
Speaking of the Mets, I want to point out two things about Dillon Gee, the starting pitcher in the game we attended. First of all, he was seen on this pre-game clip on Diamond Vision telling fans not to jump on the field. Then he pauses, and strokes his beard. What's up with that? Is he auditioning for the new season of "Duck Dynasty"?
Then there is the matter of his theme song. The part of the song played when he enters of the game says: "You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, run on for a long time." It sounded like Johnny Cash, and it was. The song is entitled "God's Gonna Cut You Down," and the lyrics that weren't featured in the intro are pretty intense:
As for today's Yankees Opening Day, sadly, I am not going. But it makes me feel like an Old Timer to see that the now-retired Jorge Posada is throwing out the first pitch!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
But when it comes to making dopey moves, your team doesn't need any help. Like the reported notion for the Mets planning to somehow honor Chipper (Larry) Jones in his last season. Why would you give a moment's tribute to somebody who mocked your team by naming his child Shea, and who has kicked your team's fannies ten ways to Tuesday? When I wrote on my Facebook page that the Mets were going to do something to commemorate Chipper's career, even Yankee fans were outraged. More than one said that it would be like the Bombers honoring David Ortiz for his career!
You guys have one retired player number in 50 years, and you're going to do something to honor Chipper? Really? If your team does so, I strongly suggest giving him a gift certificate to Hooters (Google Chipper Jones and Hooters for the details!), coupled with a showing of "The Three Stooges," with everybody chanting "Lar-ry!"
What I remember most about the Mets first post 9/11 game at home was not Mike Piazza's home run, or Liza Minnelli singing "New York, New York." It was how jarring it was to see Mets players hug Chipper Jones! Please, keep the hate. Don't do anything to honor this clown!
* * *
Then there is the matter of his theme song. The part of the song played when he enters of the game says: "You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, run on for a long time." It sounded like Johnny Cash, and it was. The song is entitled "God's Gonna Cut You Down," and the lyrics that weren't featured in the intro are pretty intense:
Go tell that long tongue liarYikes!
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
* * *
As for today's Yankees Opening Day, sadly, I am not going. But it makes me feel like an Old Timer to see that the now-retired Jorge Posada is throwing out the first pitch!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Joe McIlvaine and the first big Roberto Alomar trade
In December 1990, Toronto GM Pat Gillick and San Diego GM Joe McIlvaine made one of the all-time blockbuster trades. The Blue Jays acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, while giving up Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. By 1993, Gillick's Blue Jays had won two World Series, and Gillick would eventually make the Hall of Fame in the same year as Alomar. Also in 1993, McIlvaine became GM of the Mets.
A Sporting News story on the trade makes McIlvaine look even worse. The trade was originally Carter for McGriff, which would not have been a bad trade. But Gillick asked about Alomar, and as one of Gillick's assistants remembered, McIlvaine's response was "I like to do big deals. Let's sleep on it."
Bear in mind that Alomar was only 22. And he was not a prospect - he had just made his first All-Star team. Yet McIlvaine was willing to include him in the deal, with the Blue Jays adding Tony Fernandez.
Alomar went on to make the All-Star team the next eleven years in a row. He also won ten Gold Gloves and received MVP votes in seven seasons. Fernandez, a 28-year-old three-time All-Star at the time of the trade, made one more All-Star team.
Alomar's string of All-Star appearances ended, of course, when he was traded to the Mets from the Indians before the 2002 season. At least that trade, while it didn't do the Mets any good, also didn't help Cleveland.
Part of the impetus for the 1990 trade was that Toronto was open to trading McGriff to make room for young first baseman John Olerud. And when the Blue Jays acquired Carter as well, it was part of a series of outfield moves that resulted in Blue Jays centerfielder Mookie Wilson losing his job.
After McIlvaine returned to the Mets (he was assistant GM there before going to San Diego), he traded away yet another future superstar second baseman, sending Jeff Kent to Cleveland for Carlos Baerga in the middle of the 1996 season. Cleveland also gave up on Kent, sending him to the Giants at the end of 1996. Kent made the All-Star team or received MVP votes in eight of the next nine seasons, winning NL MVP in 2000.
In fairness to McIlvaine, he also acquired Olerud for the Mets from the Blue Jays, giving up Robert Person. And McIlvaine's tenure as Mets' GM came after the series of disastrous acquisitions of the likes of Vince Coleman that would lead to "The Worst Team Money Could Buy."
But too often over the last 20 years, the Mets have had GMs who often seemed to like to do big deals whether or not they made any sense. The current offseason may be frustrating because it's so quiet, but as we've seen way too often, a bad big move is worse than no move at all.
And with the Mets' ill-fated acquisitions of Alomar, Baerga, Kaz Matsui and Luis Castillo over the last 15 years, while giving away Kent, the last thing Sandy Alderson should do is make a dramatic move to acquire a second baseman.
***
According to BaseballReference.com the player Alomar is most similar to statistically is Derek Jeter. The Yankees' primary starting shortstop in 1995, the year before Jeter took over the job, was that other part of the 1990 Alomar deal - Tony Fernandez.
A Sporting News story on the trade makes McIlvaine look even worse. The trade was originally Carter for McGriff, which would not have been a bad trade. But Gillick asked about Alomar, and as one of Gillick's assistants remembered, McIlvaine's response was "I like to do big deals. Let's sleep on it."
Bear in mind that Alomar was only 22. And he was not a prospect - he had just made his first All-Star team. Yet McIlvaine was willing to include him in the deal, with the Blue Jays adding Tony Fernandez.
Alomar went on to make the All-Star team the next eleven years in a row. He also won ten Gold Gloves and received MVP votes in seven seasons. Fernandez, a 28-year-old three-time All-Star at the time of the trade, made one more All-Star team.
Alomar's string of All-Star appearances ended, of course, when he was traded to the Mets from the Indians before the 2002 season. At least that trade, while it didn't do the Mets any good, also didn't help Cleveland.
Part of the impetus for the 1990 trade was that Toronto was open to trading McGriff to make room for young first baseman John Olerud. And when the Blue Jays acquired Carter as well, it was part of a series of outfield moves that resulted in Blue Jays centerfielder Mookie Wilson losing his job.
After McIlvaine returned to the Mets (he was assistant GM there before going to San Diego), he traded away yet another future superstar second baseman, sending Jeff Kent to Cleveland for Carlos Baerga in the middle of the 1996 season. Cleveland also gave up on Kent, sending him to the Giants at the end of 1996. Kent made the All-Star team or received MVP votes in eight of the next nine seasons, winning NL MVP in 2000.
In fairness to McIlvaine, he also acquired Olerud for the Mets from the Blue Jays, giving up Robert Person. And McIlvaine's tenure as Mets' GM came after the series of disastrous acquisitions of the likes of Vince Coleman that would lead to "The Worst Team Money Could Buy."
But too often over the last 20 years, the Mets have had GMs who often seemed to like to do big deals whether or not they made any sense. The current offseason may be frustrating because it's so quiet, but as we've seen way too often, a bad big move is worse than no move at all.
And with the Mets' ill-fated acquisitions of Alomar, Baerga, Kaz Matsui and Luis Castillo over the last 15 years, while giving away Kent, the last thing Sandy Alderson should do is make a dramatic move to acquire a second baseman.
***
According to BaseballReference.com the player Alomar is most similar to statistically is Derek Jeter. The Yankees' primary starting shortstop in 1995, the year before Jeter took over the job, was that other part of the 1990 Alomar deal - Tony Fernandez.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lost Weekend for Yankees, and this Squawk Monster is peeved!
Squawker Jon may have something to celebrate - not only did his Mets win two of three in the Subway Series, but he wasn't disappointed with the "Lost" finale. Can't say I can say the same. I'm not happy at all with this weekend. Call me Offfically Concerned about the state of the Yankees.
When the highlight of the Yankees' weekend is Javier Vazquez's pitching, and even that was bittersweet (thanks to him banging up his finger on a bunt), you know it wasn't a good series.
Grrrrrrr. As one of our Red Sox fan/Squawker readers pointed out to me on Facebook last night, the Yanks are now just 2.5 games ahead of the Red Sox in the standings. And the Bombers have lost 10 of their last 15 games, and six of their last eight games. Not good.
So, call me the Squawk Monster, as I make some fire-breathing observations:
* Doesn't look like Joe Girardi was happy with Francisco Cervelli not running when he hit the ball that hit the foul pole last night. (The one the umps ruled was a single, not a homer.)
* A Met fan wrote me this on Facebook last night, regarding Francisco Rodriguez's postgame celebrations: "You can't really pick on K-Rod though - at least he only celebrates when the game is over. That Cervelli guy celebrates every time his pitcher throws a strike or he gets a hit. Let him get more than about 30 hits in his career before he starts acting like that." Uh-oh!
* Squawker Jon and I were at the Citi Field finale of the Subway Series last year, where a shaky K-Rod walked Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded. I think I liked last year better!
* CC Sabathia hasn't looked right since that game at Fenway Park where he was one strike away from getting the win, before the rain delay. (Yes, I know he had pretty good numbers against the Sox at Yankee Stadium last week, but he looked like he was battling and struggling the whole time.
* How long before we hear the "A-Rod always strikes out in a big spot" idiots again?
Anyhow, I'm sure I've missed a ton of other things to complain about. But I'm sure Squawker Jon and our Met fan/Yankee hater readers will remind me of them!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
When the highlight of the Yankees' weekend is Javier Vazquez's pitching, and even that was bittersweet (thanks to him banging up his finger on a bunt), you know it wasn't a good series.
Grrrrrrr. As one of our Red Sox fan/Squawker readers pointed out to me on Facebook last night, the Yanks are now just 2.5 games ahead of the Red Sox in the standings. And the Bombers have lost 10 of their last 15 games, and six of their last eight games. Not good.
So, call me the Squawk Monster, as I make some fire-breathing observations:
* Doesn't look like Joe Girardi was happy with Francisco Cervelli not running when he hit the ball that hit the foul pole last night. (The one the umps ruled was a single, not a homer.)
* A Met fan wrote me this on Facebook last night, regarding Francisco Rodriguez's postgame celebrations: "You can't really pick on K-Rod though - at least he only celebrates when the game is over. That Cervelli guy celebrates every time his pitcher throws a strike or he gets a hit. Let him get more than about 30 hits in his career before he starts acting like that." Uh-oh!
* Squawker Jon and I were at the Citi Field finale of the Subway Series last year, where a shaky K-Rod walked Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded. I think I liked last year better!
* CC Sabathia hasn't looked right since that game at Fenway Park where he was one strike away from getting the win, before the rain delay. (Yes, I know he had pretty good numbers against the Sox at Yankee Stadium last week, but he looked like he was battling and struggling the whole time.
* How long before we hear the "A-Rod always strikes out in a big spot" idiots again?
Anyhow, I'm sure I've missed a ton of other things to complain about. But I'm sure Squawker Jon and our Met fan/Yankee hater readers will remind me of them!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Squawker Lisa's Subway Series Predictions
Squawker Jon has conceded that his Mets will be on the losing side of the Subway Series this weekend. He's predicting that the Yankees will sweep!
I think he's trying to do one of those reverse jinx thingies. Your weird sci-fi trick isn't going to work, Jon!
Speaking of sci-fi, Squawker Jon will be watching the series finale of "Lost" on Sunday. I quit watching that show after they finished the second season with that ridiculous Penelope-Desmond storyline (why should I care about their stupid love story? I watched this show for the plane crash on a remote island, not for silly melodrama!) But I digress.
Anyhow, here are my predictions for this weekend:
* The Yankees will win two of three, with Javy Vazquez having a good outing Friday. My guess is that the Yankees will lose Saturday, but I agree with Jon that the bullpen will decide at least one game.
* Citi Field a pitchers' park? Not with the Yankees in the house. I'm predicting homers from Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, and Cervelli!
* Met fans are going to continue to gripe about that "Jeter's got an Edge" commercial airing on SNY. Yankee fans are going to continue to gripe about hearing that commercial twenty times a night. (It's right up there with the My Mohegan for annoyances!)
* If the Yankees lose two of three (heaven forbid!), there will be panic in the tabloids!
* Number of times we'll see the Luis Castillo dropped play again - at least 100!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
I think he's trying to do one of those reverse jinx thingies. Your weird sci-fi trick isn't going to work, Jon!
Speaking of sci-fi, Squawker Jon will be watching the series finale of "Lost" on Sunday. I quit watching that show after they finished the second season with that ridiculous Penelope-Desmond storyline (why should I care about their stupid love story? I watched this show for the plane crash on a remote island, not for silly melodrama!) But I digress.
Anyhow, here are my predictions for this weekend:
* The Yankees will win two of three, with Javy Vazquez having a good outing Friday. My guess is that the Yankees will lose Saturday, but I agree with Jon that the bullpen will decide at least one game.
* Citi Field a pitchers' park? Not with the Yankees in the house. I'm predicting homers from Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, and Cervelli!
* Met fans are going to continue to gripe about that "Jeter's got an Edge" commercial airing on SNY. Yankee fans are going to continue to gripe about hearing that commercial twenty times a night. (It's right up there with the My Mohegan for annoyances!)
* If the Yankees lose two of three (heaven forbid!), there will be panic in the tabloids!
* Number of times we'll see the Luis Castillo dropped play again - at least 100!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
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