Eye on the Prize

Yes, I know the Nats are the worst second worst team in the National League. Yes, I know we should be kicking their butts. But it is not so. 5-3 at the hands of Heilman, who maybe should also be designated for assignment a la Sosa and Figueroa. Claudio Vargas, brought up from the minors, pitched a solid game before the Heilman giveaway.

What gave me a giggle was watching the broadcast on MASN (the Nats network) and the announcers commenting how they couldn't understand the booing at Shea when Heilman showed up on the mound. Couldn't understand?? Haven't these guys watched a single day of Mets baseball?!

Nevermind. I'm letting go. It's not far off from Clinton's West Virginia victory earlier this week... kinda futile. Phillies and Braves lost, so the half game sandwich remains.

Exorcise the Ghosts

Poor Metsies. Last night's 5-4 loss to the Phillies was a tough pill to swallow. It was supposed to get easier without Jimmy Rollins. And it was. Until last night.

Pelfrey's pitching was ok (nothing remarkable and nothing near his last appearances). The Mets defense, on the other hand, was excellent - they contained the Phillies to just four runs until a 6th inning that was as momentous as Iowa for Obama. Four runs, tie game.

But the relievers came in and the Mets went back to their early spring ways. Stranding base runners, striking out while swinging. The ghosts of the past.

My PTSD

Yesterday was the most loveliest day so far in 2008. The temperature in DC was nearly 80, amazing sunny skies and a lovely breeze AND the Mets were atop the NL East for the first time since last year's "special time". But it's only April, so I spent the day on my beautiful new bike and caught the extremely tense last two innings of the game against the Philles.

I'm sure I've written about how I want to be a pitcher in my next life. I'm not sure, however, if I would not end up suicidal if I were to actually become a pitcher. The idea that you can almost give the other side the game in the 8th inning, as Heilman almost did yesterday, would induce me to a pawn shop or a pharmacist for sure. Who can take the tension of knowing that YOU lost it? Gave the shit away! But then I realized that you need a whole posse to back you and unless the ball goes out of the park (which is no too hard in Philly), you are not alone with the burden.

But none of this happened. Heilman pulled through, Wagner pulled through, the outfield pulled through. I think I just have PTSD from last year. Deep breath. One day at a time.

They're Alive

I saw the NY Mets last night - capitalizing on every error by the hated (but not reviled, I save that for the Braves) Phillies. Now where the hell were they this weekend?

8-2 and the bullpen held it together. Pelfrey held it together. The bats sort of performed (not so much as the Phillies bullpen melted down, but I'll take it).

Change in momentum = change in attitude= wins. In life and in baseball.

RIP 2007

It's over. Boston won. I have many a friend who had a spring in their step this morning (albeit a tired one), relishing the Boston win combined with enjoying the arrogance of A-Rod and that Scott Boras character.

Nonetheless, one of my favorite people in the office (our intern), asked me today if I thought the outcome was an indicator of the dominance of the American League over the National League. I had to weigh the facts. While last year was an NL victor (the Cardinals), the last 10 years have been dominated by the AL. But what I decided is the Colorado Rockies probably didn't represent the best the NL had to offer. Why you ask? They were good, but not the best at anything. The best hitting in the NL? The Phillies. The best pitching? San Diego.

It's not that I don't like the Rockies; I'm just not sure they were the best team in the NL in 2007. Oh well, is the WS about the best team anyway? Not necessarily. Sometimes these types of contests are not indicative of the best in show. Look at some of the past Presidential races.

Slasher

Who doesn't love a little irony? The knife that slashed the Phillies throats last night came from none other than Kazuo Matsui. For those of you who read this because you love me and find me funny, but don't know a damn thing about baseball, click here. For those who love me, blah, blah, blah, but are too lazy to click anywhere, Matsui was once a Met, came to us with the pomp and circumstance (but reduced cost) of Dice K, and delivered worse than our bullpen this September.

And last night? A 5th inning triple that helped to get the Rockies on high. And the Phillies to go down.

Hangman

Tonight's games are the NL's version of hangman. You know who's leg I am hoping to draw on tonight? Yes, you guessed correctly.... Jamie Moyer. And I'll take Jimmy Rollins too if I can.

We'll see later. But for now, it looks like its may be Rich Hill, Lou Pinella and the Cubs.

Lovin' No One

You know I am happy about the Rockies pounding the crap outta Philly. I am working through my feelings about the 2007 baseball season. I am over sadness, now I am into anger. Not anger at the Mets, but anger at the Phillies. This has been a recurring theme throughout the season, depending on how close on our tail they were. But now, full on rageahol.

Another thing pissing me off? People trying to convert me to their teams. I have been pitched Boston (very aggressively, BTW), sometimes the Yankees (trying the you're a New Yorker kinda logic), even the Indians (this was someone preying on my anti-Yankees sentiment).

I heart no one. And if I was going to remotely heart anyone right now, it would be the Rockies for taking those Phillies down and TBS for being so beautiful in HD. I'm watching right now and it looks like the pitching disease is ravaging all of New York.

Fairytales Do Come True

Yes, I am still sitting shivah for the Mets (which means that you can't make mean jokes for a little while), but I am kinda, sorta watching playoff baseball.

I am not rooting for anyone, but after seeing the preview coverage, as well as stuff about last night's games, it's clear the story of baseball is alive and well. In the political world, all flacks want a consistent story to tell in order to create loyalty, action, a whole host of things. It is no different in baseball. The title of this season? Fairytales Do Come True.

I'm not sure who is a bigger fairytale team: the Rockies, a non East coast team that was nowhere near first place and had a blazing fall, a crazy duel against the Padres (which they won); the F*#cking Phillies (don't need to fill you in on that one); the Cubs, who came back to bite the Brewers in the butt; and of course, the Yankees, who I poked fun at all summer (who I don't like, won't root for, but have to admire their determination).

The only hard part in the fairytale is that nearly all of the teams are in the NL. Oh well, at least MLB will have one fairy to get us to watch the WS.

Finding Inspiration Where You Can

In times of stress, you hunker down and try to find hope. I did that this morning, reading the myriad of Mets bloggers out there. Saw lots of things, but this is my favorite from Metsmerized... yesterday on SNY, a tarot card reader saw a game being played in Philly on Monday.

We all find our ways to get through. I am going to take that one, why not?

Note: I was going to put a picture, but I decided I don't know enough about tarot and what if I pick the wrong one? Silly, but at this point, one has to consider these things.

New York, I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down

This is a song, in case you didn't know it. And it is how I am feeling after the Mets 5-3 loss today against the Phillies.

I know we are still up, four and a half games up. But, we've still got two weeks to go. All I can hope for is these losses will leave us feeling a little backed into a corner. If have to read gloating comments by that Rollins character, I may puke.

Can't Seem to Catch a Break

What is such a bummer about last night's 10-inning, 3-2 loss to the Phillies is that it has much less to do with skill than with luck. I'm not saying the Phillies suck; clearly they have had a late season surge that would bring envy from most of the political candidates on the stump these days. But one late inning run proves nothing except making the pennant race a little tighter.

My fave quote in all the coverage from last night was from my boyfriend -"A team is most dangerous when they're backed into a corner."

A 5 and a half deep in the hole corner.

I Know the Times Sports Coverage Sucks...

But I have many needs from my paper in the morning, so I read the Times first. My fave thing so far (and not even from regular Mets writer Ben Shpiegel) from today's paper.

"Over the last two seasons, the Mets have been in first place for a total of 313 days, which ranks first in the major leagues. The Boston Red Sox rank second at 260 days."

Who doesn't feel good reading that? Happy Friday Met fans. Consider yourselves psyched for the evening festivities.

L'Chaim!

Before I get into baseball, a note for you non Jews out there... L'Chaim is a toast that means "to life". If you're a non-Jew rooting for the Mets who is reading this blog and don't know what L'Chaim means, please leave me a comment as I cannot believe you exist.

And we've got a lot to toast.... the sweep, Pedro back and doing alright (fully report in the morn). Bats that are alive and well. We're 5 games up after Atlanta beat Philly, the poetic justice of which I cannot even begin to write about.

All good. And guess who else lost today? The AL Wildcard is gonna be a nail biter. No gloating, just sayin'.

Now I realize this can all fall in a la last week; I just want to enjoy this moment. Delish.

AARGH!

Yes, it is in caps. And yes, I am yelling. Not only was luck not on our side in last night's 3-2 loss to the Phillies, it was as bad as a downright curse. Has a shaman put a vex on the Mets or on Citizens Field? It's the only explanation I can come up with to explain Oli walking the pitcher as well as the bizarro call against Marlon Anderson.

Hey Mr. Shaman, there's a guy named CB Bucknor, he's an umpire.... I will look up his address and email it to you.

Matzo Bats are Back (and it's not good)

Why do we always suck the later in the season it gets? Last season September was pretty much awful. But then again, we were waay more than 5 games up and neither the Phillies or the Braves were where they are this year as competitors.

Luck was not on our side in last night's 4-2 loss to the Phillies, with a roller that rolled the wrong way. So it goes. What is more troublesome to me is the recurrence of problems such as matzo bats and relievers that bring no relief. We should be scoring runs; Citizens Park (while lovely) is as small as Barbie's House. We should be adding to our numbers and winning games, not helping that arrogant Jimmy Rollins. Blech.

Frustration. That's all I can say.

And P.S.... welcome back to Endy! Take the kindness now, as I am sure I will complain about you in a few days.

Fall is Here

I was there in late June when the Mets ate the Phillies for dinner. They ate them for lunch too, I just didn't go to the game. They even had snacks the next day.

But you would never have know that last night after the 9-2 pounding the Phillies gave my Mets. It was like one of those Pennsylvania Dutch Country smorgasbords for Philly.

And they got their giant meal. My boyfriend ejected for rejected authority the whole game. The Philles coach was ejected too. It's September friends, even if the calendar says August 28. Heck, ask the Presidential candidates... it's been September for months. Or at least their schedules have seemed like it.

Stressation

Yes, it is a made up word. Stressation. It's how I describe my feelings when I think about August baseball. Now shit starts to matter. To really matter. And with the Braves and the Philles picking up some pitching (although Julio Mateo is no prize) , a girl's gotta sweat a little. Plus, the Braves picked up some hitting too.

Now I realize that part of all of this is Kabuki theater, kinda like politics... there's a whole game going on here that everyone has to play. It's late in the season and if you're not in first place than you have to speak like it is inevitable that you may end up there or as a Wild Card or whatever it takes to be a contender. Even Dennis Kucinich believes he's got the stuff. I mean, why else would he get up in the morning and do it?

But the Braves are talking bold. And they won against Houston tonight. But I'm not gonna fall prey to the hype. If I did that, I would have thought Howard Dean was gonna be President.

I gotta believe, but I said it kids, Stressation.

And Mr. Viagra is aiming for 300 tonight, but he's down 2-1 in the 6th. More stressation.

The Fashion of Baseball

The Mets lost today, although I am not bitter. Oli needed a day off and truthfully, Pelfrey has had worse meltdowns than today's - his last five starts in the majors.

But I am not returning to that place. Things are getting better. The Two of the Carlos Three are making stuff happen. And to help the press coverage, the fan psyche and most important, the team psyche, Carlos boldly predicted after they lost the Twins series, the team needed to go 8 and 2. And they've got 8-2. Movin' on up.

I did not see today's game; I traveled back from Philly after a fab brunch off Rittenhouse Square, which is now my favorite park in America that is actually a square. It could be the spectacular weather that has enveloped the east coast, but I just loved Philly. Although I could never love their team!

So my favorite recollection about Citizens Park was this kinda angry, 50 something, moustached, Phillies fan who asked us dripping with jealous sarcasm, "How many different outfits do you guys have?" Me and the random cute Met fans sitting next to me explained that we had 4 different uniforms.

The guy was obviously jealous, as the Philles (although they have a good stadium), they have just two uniforms. And I poked around today and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the number of uniforms a team wears. The Brewers have 4; the Angels have 4; the Nats, Braves, Orioles and Red Sox all have three.

I know all my blog readers are not quite the fashionista that I am, but you are all baseball fans. Any idea why this is?

The Anna Wintour in me thanks you.

All Carlos, All the Time

Philadelphia - I am happily in my friend's lovely Center City apartment, writing on his beautiful G4, and reveling in the Mets double header win yesterday. We are headed off to a walking class he has been taking about the architecture of Philly so this will be quick. Thankfully, they allow special guests.

We witnessed last night's 5-2 win. My thumbnail review.... The stadium is beautiful. Modeled on Camden Yards, one of the best baseball stadiums around. The weather was perfect b-ball weather, although a little cooler than I would have expected for almost July. Our seats were fabulous, lotsa Met fans and I saw more than a sliver of the pre-Italy Mets. Solid hitting, solid fielding, beautiful 8 plus innings from our beast Johnny Maine.

My two highlights: All Carlos, all the time. Carlos the third (Gomez) with fab fielding and Carols Beltran belting 2 out of the park.

More later, including the bitter Phillies fan who asked me and a gang 'o Met fans about Mets fashion. Speaking of fashion, my very non pedestrian friend wore a beautiful 1980s style Phillies cap sans green fur.

Happy Saturday!