Dear #Mets Fans,

Hiiiiiii.

How’s it going?

Depending on who you talk to, I guess, we’re either all still freaking out or we’re excited to watch this new era unfold. I guess the majority of us die-hards are always a combination of the former and latter at all times, which is what I find so fascinating about Mets fandom and fandom in general. The study of its psychology has always intrigued me. It’s probably why, as a filmmaker and screenwriter, I like exploring and documenting those elements of the human experience. It has been my motivation once I began blogging, not only exploring other Mets fans experiences through my writings and videos and podcasts but attempting to quantify MY OWN Metsian experience and explain how it works and how I work to the world.

I struggle as deep as the Mets on a day-to-day basis. These days, with my dad’s health and adapting to a new environment in Denver, it has literally been the most at one time I’ve ever had to deal with, but that’s what life is for; C'est la vie. I do, however, struggle with amateur hour. BIG time.

As I postpone the release of my Mets fan documentary The Newest Breed once more, I get flashbacks to moments such as telling Danny Abriano and Michelle Ioannou on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis I’ve gotta push the article deadline just a tad further…then a tad further again. Even with this documentary, the first part I just literally watched before typing this...as proud as I am of it and can’t wait to share it, I have gone about making it in such an amateurish way that no matter how much I appreciate that aspect of it in telling the Mets fandom’s story, and a big reason I relate and root for the Mets to begin with, I have to begin approaching everything much more on a pro level. The reputation I have set forth haunts me on a daily basis, and I am desperately trying to correct it, no matter how long it takes.

Anyway, enough about me

And onto the Mets Movie.

The Newest Breed

Will be released

Very promptly on March 16th.

Part 1 will arrive

Part 2 in due time

March 28 the last should appear

And satisfy your Metsian soul 
with all faith 
and no fear.
Well...I guess ALWAYS some fear...but would we want it any other way?

Thank you for understanding. 

One love. One Mets.

Onwards and Upwards.

Let’s. Go. Mets.

Just When You Thought it Couldn't Be Fun Anymore...

THIS happens:



And sidenote: When I went looking for the above video to grab the proper embed code, just pressing "video" on the main page of mlb.com, THIS was the 1st video on the main video page:



As cool as that is, I digress.

Bartolo Colon has been an extremely entertaining person to watch fail at hitting this year. With his helmet-losing spins and an approach that only a rather large man who has pitched the majority of his games in the American League could have, I swear that Bartolo has been worth making a Met just so we have those batting memories to make us warm on a cold, 2020 winter afternoon.

We knew he'd eventually get his 1st hit as a Metropolitan. The way it went down, however, couldn't have been more perfect. We're down 1-0 in a game that has rapidly traveled to the 6th, in jeopardy of getting swept, and Bartolo laces the 2nd-pitch fastball down the left field line for an easy double that he could just jog on in for. And we're talking Bartolo Colon jogging. Then, Eric Young, Jr., who we cannot deny adds something extra to this team when he is on the roster, drives him in, before our slumping Captain drives EYJ in to give us our first lead of the series. Could this be the turning point? Probably not. But it definitely lightened the mood and gave some life to a team that has looked severely lifeless the majority of the year.

And one of the reasons it probably isn't the turning point is because of this man. Danny Abriano of Rising Apple, as always, precisely describes why Terry Collins' thought process defies logic. I feel I can sum up some modern day managers' thought processes: It’s the moment where they say to themselves, “Well, I gotta do something.” When nothing was the something to do. Terry's explanation was that 86 pitches in that hot weather was the equivalent to 120. Terry, come on! You're the oldest manager in all of baseball! There's got to be a part of you that thinks all of this is absolutely ridiculous. Why are we babying these people?! Back in the day, I'm pretty sure the one to finish the game is the 40-year-old veteran ace who is absolutely cruising with a 2-run lead. We're babying the babies of baseball....we really gotta baby the 40-year-old big man who defies what our minds say a older man of his size can do in the first place? My God.

Outside of the little zany world we like to call the Mets, I'd be remiss not to touch on Tony Gwynn in this forum. I commented the day of on social media, but failed to do so in my first post after his death. The only time I ever saw Mr. Padre play was in his last season of 2001 facing the Marlins at Joe Robbie Stadium. Somewhere out there prior to the digital age, there are photos I took with, what was the film called? "Advantex?" Anyway, you had the choice of the kind of picture you could take, i.e., you could take a panoramic photo and it would get developed on that kind of sized paper. Whatever, that's not the point. The point is I obviously focused on Tony Gywnn, who is arguably the greatest hitter of the last 20 years of the 20th Century, though his hitting was the last thing that drew you to him. I always wanted to hear what the man had to say because he seemed to be more than just a solid man. When I heard Monday morning that he had passed away, my heart got a little weaker. That was some sad news, and baseball has a void that it will never be able to fill. He went way too early, and completely shocked me regardless of having heard he had be dealing with some health issues. 

I raise a glass to Anthony Keith Gwynn, Sr.
You will be sorely missed.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. For more from myself and others on the Mets, head over to Rising Apple. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Ranting and (Hardly) Raving

Last night, the Faith and Fear in Flushing duo, Greg Prince and Jason Fry, joined myself, Danny Abriano and Mike Lecolant on the 75th episode of the Rising Apple Report for an off day Roundtable Rant on the current state of the New York Mets.

Along with voicing our frustrations at the "holding pattern" the Mets seem to be in, we also discussed number 75, Frankie Rodriguez, and the 1975 New York Mets season, which lent itself for plenty of correlating and contexting where the Mets currently stand.

So, before the the Orange and Blue bring up a WHOLE 'nother set of concerns starting tonight against the Dodgers in Queens, along with all the cliché set of concerns, do yourself a favor and indulge in the sounds of the latest episode of the Rising Apple Report.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Current Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Rising Apple Report on BlogTalkRadio

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, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

A Walk with WOR & the Post-Game Podcast

I do not mean to mislead anyone who read that title and is familiar with my occasional storytelling ways. I do not have an overly thorough story to tell about walking around Manhattan listening to Howie Rose and Josh Lewin on WOR during the Mets 6-4 series-sealing victory last night. That's basically all I did, enjoyed the scenery, enjoyed those voices and the baseball they described, and especially enjoyed the win.

I got home basically right as the last 7 pitches of the ballgame were beginning by Jose Valverde, and, as seen by that number of pitches, the inning didn't last too long. Right afterwards, I decided to spontaneously go on the air with Mike Lecolant of Rising Apple and talk about the Mets series win, as well as 1968 a bit (as it was our 68th episode, and there is no uniform number 68 in Mets history.)

We are settling in well to this new era of the Rising Apple Report and we went a solid hour and 10 last night, with Rising Apple site editor Danny Abriano joining us basically at midnight.

So, as the weekend creeps closer, enjoy the sounds this afternoon of the Rising Apple Report!

LET'S. GO. METS.

Listen To Sports Internet Radio Stations with Rising Apple Report on BlogTalkRadio

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, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Now THAT is a Mets Legacy

If you have not already, please make sure you read Danny Abriano's Rising Apple Post about life, family, roots and adversity. It's an amazing story, setting a literal and physical example of how you turn a negative into a positive.

The negative going on with this team is so minute when looking at the overall positives, and direction of this franchise, and the story lines that are unfolding in the Spring. Yeah, you have the whole Johan thing, but…everything else seems to be in line, except for the fact "THEY'RE STILL ALL LYING TO US!"………

My God, do you want no joy from the things that make you…HAPPY?!

I've learned to take everything in stride, and that it is a waste of time to be that pissed off at things that are out of my control and much less pissed off at headlines I can only take with a grain of salt. After clearly so much that went wrong (and the kind of "going wrong" that you could clearly see going wrong as it was going wrong) don't people want to soak up more of what is going right with this organization than be pissed off at the Wilpons another day? And even if you still think the Mets are doomed, what is wrong with enjoying every little success that happens in games where the final score is meaningless?

Anyway, I went off on a little tangent there, but I read Danny's article after reading a bunch of sensationalist headlines and tweets and what not that were as gloom and doom about the New York Metropolitans as could be. And like I said, Danny's story is the PERFECT example of turning a negative into a positive, and persevering through life's curveballs, Metsian or otherwise.

Enough of me. READ DANNY'S ARTICLE NOW.

...Please.

Here's the Random Song of the Day.

PER. SE. VER. ANCE.
LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.

Mets Legacy Photo of the Day: Scaling the Ebbets Field Ads

For a recap of today's 6-2 win...

here is Danny Abriano's Report for Rising Apple.

I've already featured The Duke.

But that was in his latter baseball life. 

Here he is in the former.

NOT. IN. OUR. HOUSE.
LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.

Today's Game Recap & The Mets Legacy Photo of the Day

For a recap of today's spring schloshing of the Mets by the Cardinals (including coverage of Zack Wheeler being scratched from the start) check out this from Danny Abriano over at Rising Apple.

The Mets Legacy Photo of the Day comes to us from way above 
the former city of Brooklyn.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.

An UnTelevised Mejia 5-er & the Random Jimi of the Night

If you would like to read about the goods and the bads of the afternoon loss to the Marlins, head over to Rising Apple for a game recap and thoughts from Danny Abriano.

Over here at Converted Mets Fan is the Random Jimi of the Night.

RAN. DOM. JIMI.
LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.

Well, That was a Disaster...But Here's Julian's Met of the Week

Let me start out by saying I GUARANTEE The Rising Apple Report will never again start late.

If you don't know what I am talking about, I was having technological issues and did not take the proper precautions necessary to make sure The Rising Apple Report would start on time no matter what the circumstances.

I am coming down pretty hard on myself, only for the sake of something like that never happening again.

But for the sake of comedy, listen to the beginning of the podcast (um, followed by the rest of the podcast, of course.)

Pure. Baffoonery.

I got back on track, but for a second there...

Dan Haefeli and Danny Abriano did a great job helping the car gain control, as did Julian, who was able to call in and talk some trading cards with us. Speaking of which...

Once upon a time, when the Mets had yet to sign David Wright, and there was "talk" of The New Franchise getting traded to Philly, Ted, the guy I quote all the time on here, would egg me on about how much the Phils needed a 3rd baseman, and how that 3rd baseman will be David Wright.

Well, I'm now happy to say that THIS is the closest David Wright will ever come to wearing a Phillies uniform.

 And that's Julian's Met of the Week.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.

And, So, We March On...

Landon Powell, a catcher the Mets signed to a Minor League contract, lost his infant daughter to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis this weekend. Danny Abriano of Rising Apple does a great job explaining the disease, as his friend's nephew was born with it a few years ago. He also has information as to how we all can help these kids pull through.

Here's the Star Wars Track of the Day.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.