Dropping MF Bombs

This is how it goes. That never-ending cycle we all hope they will break. One step forward, 8 steps back. Just when the weekend looks like progress is being made, they blow a very winnable game and then almost choke out a reporter. This is a team on the brink of a breakdown.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Photo via Newsday

We all try to stave off being on the brink of a breakdown. Some more than others. Glory can be almost tasted, seen right in front of us and we do everything we can do not to get in our own way. The Mets are no exception, and clearly Mickey wants to win. As much as we give him shit for the moves he makes, like yesterday when he clearly should have had Edwin Diaz ready to go when it was clear Seth Lugo didn't have it in his 2nd inning of work, he is trying to win. No competitor isn't. Art Howe wanted to win, Jerry Manuel wanted to win, Dallas Green wanted to win. I don't think Mickey doesn't want to win. He's trying his best, but yesterday was the first time we saw him break.

He had been pretty even keeled until the perceived sarcasm from Tim Healey of Newsday, someone who does a great job of reporting and has been on our podcast. Knowing Tim, he wasn't jeopardizing his own line of work by causing conflict in the workplace. Hence why the Mets reached out to him to apologize and "handled affairs internally with personnel." They recognize, which they hardly ever do, the mistake that was made internally. Wouldn't it be nice if the Wilpons did the same on a more consistent basis?

How are we supposed to break the cycle? How are we supposed to make any progress when we keep tripping over our own two feet?

I'm going to the game tonight in Philly, and they're having their own problems having lost several games in a row including three at home to the Marlins. This will be the first game I've made it to all year, and I probably shouldn't even be going, but I've been planning it for a while and haven't seen my friend in some time. Hopefully, I'm not tripping over my own two feet as well since I should keep earning and not be spending money. I, however, also need a breather. As much as they may end up frustrating me tonight, I'll be happy I saw a game in person.

Then again....

Oy. Those Motherf-

Anyway, last night, on A Metsian Podcast, the guys had Mr. Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing on to rant and rave for themselves, for the fans and for me. Please, indulge with a listen when you have a chance.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Optimist Slips

It doesn't matter how bad it gets, the optimist can always find a silver lining. I try to stay as optimistic as I possibly can be. In my life, with the Mets, with whatever comes my way.

photo via nypost.com

For instance, I had to go to court in Mount Laurel, NJ, for a traffic summons last week. I found it enthralling to watch the judge and the cases he had to give judgement on before I was the particular one. It was theatrical, and it serves me in my screenwriting persona to act as a fly on the wall before entering the scenery. Of course I wasn't particularly thrilled to have to pay my fine, which included a court fee I would have rather avoided by being able to plead guilty online and just pay it there, but it benefited me to get the most out of the experience.

At what point, however, does the most optimistic Mets fan become so cynical, disgusted and depressed that even he or she can no longer weave positivity from the negative they see?

There is a breaking point for everyone. Every year can be different. Every person can be different. Even though we have gone through this before, each season offers a new potential for wiping the slate clean and starting over. Though we have a point of reference for the misery of other years, many of us sweep it under the rug in hopes that what we know to be the pattern will shift ever so slightly to provide a different outcome. At some point, the idea it is still early becomes just another lie we tell ourselves to forget the fact there is always a further bottom, one closer to the hot, uninhabitable core that apparently sits in the center of this Earth.

Yesterday, in some fashion, offered a contained metaphor for the overarching theme of the season: a little hope early with a dreadful, devastating middle that makes any hope late pointless. I have railed many a times this season at the job Mickey Callaway has done, but I cede to the folks who say that firing him will make little of a difference. I was never in denial that the main issue of this franchise are the Wilpons, as I have been skeptical all decade there would ever be sustained success with them in charge. I was hopeful, however, they would prove me wrong. This decade started with a new beginning and once more ends with the reality that it doesn't matter if you change the manager, the general manager, the pitching coach, the hitting coach, the bench coach, or the bay boy. The owners of this team keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Maybe one day they will pass go and collect their 2 billion dollars.

The pessimist in me, however, has no faith another collection of owners would be any different. The optimist in me, though, knows it couldn't hurt to try.

SAME. OLD. SAME. OLD.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Back to the Present

I have a feeling, if I were to look hard enough, I'd have already found that headline out there about what the Mets have just done to the Cubbies. Not only did I not look hard enough, I didn't look at all. No need. 'Cause that's how I feel. Welcome to the present, baby.

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

My favorite part about this is the camaraderie in the city, the landscape covered in a hue of Orange and Blue, and the focus on actual baseball.

Since mid-September, I have been working Two Boots Pizza in center field at Citi. Besides my initial few days coinciding with the worst home stretch of the year for the Mets, I noticed that there was generally a crowd on line throughout the entire game, or at least before the 7th. The Yankees series had the most people, and was basically split down the middle Yankees/Mets fans buying pizza. The Washington series had some folks on Sunday, the 1-0 90th win, since Saturday, the doubleheader, was just a miserable weather day, though there was a rather sizable contingent to witness the 2nd no-hitter thrown against the Mets in the year. Anyway, my point is, from a concessions standpoint, none of us, fans and Citi Field workers alike, knew what to expect when it came to playoff baseball at this place. 'Cause it hadn't existed yet.

And here's how you gauge what's most important in the playoffs.

We open around 5:30 for these 8 o clock starts, and from about 6:30 on, the pizza line doesn't stop flowing. Once the game starts, however, it completely dries up, and I loved it. Once the game started, everyone's focus was on the Mets playing baseball. Occasionally, they'd trickle in for more pizza and beer, but those moments were timed around breaks in the action. Because you can't miss the Mets baseball being played.

We're not talking about payroll, or whether a player is on the coach's badside, or whether they should pick up an option, or a confrontation at a press conference, or Ponzi, or Jason Bay and his contract (though I did watch a highlight reel of Jason as a Met on youtube recently...yes, there were enough moments to put that together...)

We're talking about the Mets playing World Series baseball this October.

4 more to go...

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Where's the Black Cat When You Need It?

This offense just feels like a corpse most of the time, and the fanbase can hardly stand another 1-0 loss.

What is Jon Niese to do? He obviously knows his role on this team....and at this point, his role is to keep pitching that way so he can get back any kind of role player of some kind of, or something....Just, Just get us SOMETHING, please, Mr. Niese. I wouldn't give my left hand to get you off this team, because I'm a southpaw like you, for one, but I bet you'd give up your left shoulder to get off this team and stop losing 1-0.

The Mets have yet to figure out the Cubs this year, and they have two more chances to do it. Once upon a time, a black cat ran across the division-leading Cubs' dugout at Shea Stadium, and the Mets went onto win the division and win the World Series. These days, it feels like black cats run across every offensive player's dugout.

In an ironic twist, an Orange Creamsicle-colored cat randomly showed up in 2009 on Opening Day at Citi Field. They lost 6-5 to the Padres, if you recall. I hope you recall HOW they got to that point (echoed-Pedro Feliciano and Mike Pelfrey, Echrm Echem.)

Now, this kinda makes sense if you know anything about Queens...there are lots of alley cats and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that's what that cat was, and he just happened to get lost on his way to the next old milk carton.

Maybe, since it wasn't the curs-ed black cat, it was the Ghosts of Upper Manhattan...the ORANGE side of things, cursing us for ignoring them in our presentation of New York National League history and legacy ("Where's the Giants Willie New York Road Jersey in the team shop, ey?! Those things would sell like HOTCAKES!")

Maybe THAT'S what this has all been about...

Or maybe they just need a better offense.

FOR. GET. THE. CATS.

LET'S. GO. METS.

My First #FireTerry of the Year

This is where I enter those easily flipable, fickle feelings regarding our favorite baseball team. There are probably so many other factors at hand that have led us to 20-14 record after a 13-3 start, but as far as I'm concerned, Terry Collins and his poor in-game managing is magnified even more so in this supposed hopeful new era. I don't care about the injuries, I don't care about any of that. No matter the level of talent, this man has never, in any of his years here, put the Mets in the best position to succeed. And he's only gotten worse, as far as I'm concerned.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Jake Roth, USA TODAY sports

I didn't get a chance to watch the whole game, but it did dawn on me by the 4th that the game may be on Wednesday Night Baseball on my ESPN app, and it was. So, "Thankfully" I was able to see everything fall apart at the end while helping customers claim the Two Boots slices they wanted. I immediately turned the app off before the bootleg announcers could tell me what I saw.

I will say this: 15 seconds later, the Rangers won 2-1 in overtime of the 7th game against a team I hate exclusively because they have the word "Washington" somewhere there. The Rangers provided an example of a payoff after having your backs against the wall. Honestly, and this, I guess, is just how I feel about baseball and the Mets, there's always some kind of payoff every year, whether or not you think THE payoff is the only thing that matters.

The Mets backs are not yet against the wall...

But it does feel they're slowly walking backwards towards the Grand Canyon...

Can we have some Major League Wallyball already? And don't give me that "Wally's not Sandy's type of guy," stuff. I don't believe it. And neither do some other people.

I hope that percentage has eroded some more, Sandy...

#FireTerry

LET'S. GO. METS.

Everybody in the NL East Lost Last Night

The Mets last night had the baseball gods rain them with sunshine. On the night their stud pitcher, Noah Syndergaard, makes an admirable yet unfulfilled and unsupported Major League debut, where the offense sputtered along like an old car that's not really making it anymore, every team in the NL East was handed an L.

The Nationals, still only 2.5 games back, lost to the Diamondbacks 14-6.

The Braves, 5 games back, lost on a walk-off to Cincinnati 4-3.

The Marlins, 5.5 games back, had Giancarlo Stanton launch one literally out of Dodger Stadium...and then the Dodgers won 11-1.

And the Phillies, back 9.5 games, lost to Pitt 7-2.

...And the Yankees lost to Tampa 4-2...

So, even though the offense continues to be attrocious, the problems weren't magnified by everybody else creeping up.

And as I said, a stud pitcher made an admiral debut.

And now it's #HarveyDay.

On the Side of the Street That's Sunny.

#HappyHarveyDay

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Chicago Road Trip that Wasn't

My friend, the Big Bad Baseball Voodooman, Tim Bungeroth, recently moved back to his Sweet Home Chicago with his wife after an absence of over 15 years. His entire family, who have been all over the map, including Philadelphia and San Francisco over the years, are now all located in the Windy City, including his brother Billy, who basically never left, and has built up a solid career directing at Second City and, you know, just bein' a rockstar and stuff in his band, J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound.

As April got underway, I located these Mets Cubs games on the schedule and thought to myself, "That's a good excuse for a road trip to Chicago." My plan had been to take Sunday, May 10, off from work at Two Boots, rent a car, load it up with the Bungeroth's stuff from the storage unit we rent together, and drive on out there on a solo shot. See my friends, help 'em out, and see some Wrigley baseball with the Metsies in town.

The whole thing, however, was wildly impractical. There are a lot of things I need to get done, catch up on, and what not, here in New York City, and if I were currently in Chicago, or gearing up to come back after watching Thor tonight make his Major League Debut, I would have been throwing money into the wind, as well as caution, and right now, after an "adult" life of throwing caution into the wind, I have to decide differently.

Since the rivalry has suffered after realignment severely depleted the amount of games the Mets and Cubs play each other, I will not have another opportunity to make the road trip to Chicago, something I've never done, while the Mets are in town till 2016. I will have most likely already taken my inaugural drive to the Midwestern Metropolis by then, but no doubt it will be epic on the next go 'round nonetheless.


By the way, if you're into comics, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and/or Nintendo, follow Tim Bungeroth on twitter, and check out his comic book, Minor League Comics.

LOCK. IT. DOWN. THOR.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Random Mets Highlight Wednesday

This time, I know what I'm putting video I'm posting before I type anything, though I did go searching after writing the title.

The walk-off theme keep on goin'.

AWESOME. COLORS.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, and follow on Twitter here.

Sometimes You Catch The Best Moments

I had thought of going yesterday, joining my cousin, my uncle and my aunt at the game for Father's Day, but I made the practical decision for my wallet and work that I had to stay home and get some stuff done for school.

I listened to a bit, but only 3 of 9 innings, where the other 6 were monitored by the Gameday.

By the time I checked in on the 9th, there were 2 on, a run had already scored (I hadn't yet been privy to Marlon Byrd's mammoth 2nd Decker to left that added us to the board), and there were no out. With Omar Quintanilla up and my iPhone attached to our television via Apple TV's AirPlay, MLB Gameday offered myself and others checking in a "Live LookIn." For a moment, I had SNY like millions of others.

Q got the bunt down, and I had an internal struggle regarding the strategy. "Why waste an out when the offense has been so bad and a strikeout artist on his way to the plate?" "But the offense has been struggling so much, you want that tying run as close to the plate as possible." Things along those lines went through my head.

Turns out none of that mattered, because Kirk Nieuwenhuis crushed the 2nd Carlos Marmol pitch into the Pepsi Porch.

My jaw flew open.

I couldn't believe what I saw.

Kirk, as he rounded 2nd, looked back at his gathering teammates with the most baller look on his face.

The Live LookIn ended itself before Kirk even got to 3rd.

It happened so fast, it felt like a dream.


I may be wrong, but I believe that is the 1st ever walk-off home run in Citi Field where the Mets were down more than 1 run. If my memory serves me correctly, the Mets had never hit a walk-off home run at Citi Field where they were behind at all, even by only a run.

Trivia to check up on at some point today.

...So, uh...how was Foreigner?

Wait, there was another game since Foreigner took the Citi Field?


How'd that go?

I'm tired of writing about loss after loss

So, I won't say much about last night's 6-3 loss at the hands of those Baby Bears.













Told you.

A very satisfying win

It's becoming routine on here to say I could only Gameday the Mets, but so is how it currently goes.

I looked up once and it was 3-3. I looked up twice and it was 4-3. 

Great series win before heading home for a heavy-hitting series against the Reds.

Talk about your downer of a sports day

First, I had recap duties for what turned out to be an 8-2 loss to the Cubbies, then the Knicks fell apart in crunch time after making it real interesting (stop blaming the refs, people.)

I'm sure some other team with Orange & Blue as their colors lost somewhere out there in the ether.

If you wanna know how the Mets lost, you can either read my recap over on Rising Apple, or I can tell you here that it was LOBs, a bad 4th inning and shitty relief (but it all comes back to no RISP.)

Don't Worry. Harvey's got this.

I kept scraping wallpaper off my bathroom wall with a family friend when I realized I had not checked in on the game in some time, even though when I had arrived to help I told myself I'd put the radio on. A few good conversations later, it was time to peer in on the game.

It always brings a smile to your face when, regardless if its Matt Harvey or not, it says "In Play, run(s)" next to your batting pitcher's name in Gameday.