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.

"Just One Game" One Too Many

I’ve been watching this team since the early 70s. That game epitomizes this franchise perfectly. Just good enough to lose in the most demoralizing fashion.

— Mets killin'me (@Metfanrich) May 8, 2019

AP/Gregory Bull
Photo via Newsday

Once upon a time after we failed to sweep the Phillies at Citi Field, I was fuming over the fact the Mets had not followed up throwing behind Rhys Hoskins' back with another win to truly make an early season NL East statement. Someone on a facebook group chided me that my claims were unjust of that game "being on Mickey Callaway" after the offense failed to show up. "It's just one game" was basically the gist of what I was told. One game in 162 after winning the series. I still didn't think it was enough. Look how they've been and where they stand since they failed to sweep the Phillies.

The same can be said for yesterday's game in regards to failing to back up their potential momentum-swinging win from the night before. You HAVE to follow that game up with a series victory. The Mets did not, and as Rich above on Twitter points out, it's just yet another example of how close but no cigar this team always seems to come over the course of their history. 

It made me think of a post Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing once made as we saw the good early vibes of 2012 slip away right before our very eyes that July. He pointed out how the Mets always seemed to find themselves with the tying or winning runs ever so close yet falling so far away. Greg in "Tick...Tick...Tick...", posting on July 22, 2012 at 2:09am (a similar time to when I am writing this), quoted another writer regarding the early Mets incarnation:

“The Mets got two runners on in the ninth, but couldn’t get over the hump, and went down to their 12th straight defeat. That was to be a Met pattern for their early years. They would get themselves into a seemingly hopeless position, only to rise up off the mat to stage a desperate rally, which invariably fell just short. In their 120 losses, the Mets brought the tying run to the plate in the last inning 56 times. Thirty-nine of their losses were by a single run. ‘He concedes defeat almost daily,’ Robert Teague wrote of the Met fan, ‘but only after the very last Met has been retired.’”—William Ryczek, The Amazin’ Mets, 1962-1969

56 times. Out of 120 losses. The difference between the worst modern record of all time and not owning that was that fine a line. And so it goes. 3-2 Padres, the tying run left on base.

There are moments when you see a season slipping away. We seem to have that every day lately. Then a player like Pete Alonso makes our imaginations run wild as to the possibilities of what this team can do.

I once wrote into a screenplay I'm working on a random throwaway line that I've since used from time to time in real life when someone actually asks me the following question:

"How are your Mets gonna do this year?"

"Who knows? The Mets are always a wild card, even if they don't contend for one."

The 2019 New York Mets may still contend for one. They may even contend for the division. But it becomes "just one game" too often around here.

NEEDED. OFF. DAY.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Belatedly Posting "The Newest Breed, Pt. 2"

Over a year ago, I released a documentary titled, "The Newest Breed: A History and Guide to the Mets Fan" in two parts.

I find the Mets fan to be a unique breed. I believe through Sharon Chapman, Kevin Chapman, Ross Chapman, and Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing, I was able to cinematically detail why and how the fan came to be and what drives them to have such a passion for this New York National League baseball team.

I posted the first part on the blog, but for some reason, I never posted the second part here. Why that is does not matter anymore, the only thing that matters is that I follow through with presenting it on here finally.

If you haven't seen the first part yet, please do so at the blog post link above, or directly here.

Thank you for watching, and

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Author/Blogger Greg Prince and The Chapman Family reminisce and opine on the Mets, the team's history and their personal fandom.

Produced, Edited and Directed by Sam Maxwell​
Original Score by Adam Spiegel​
Filmed on Location in New York City, San Francisco, Central New Jersey and at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse​ at Broadway and 11th Street in Manhattan

2019 Mets Opening Weekend: The Sweet Sounds of Baseball on the Radio

I always feel like everyone needs spring training. 

Photo via
https://wtop.com (AP PHOTO/NICK WASS)

The players need it, the manager needs it, the umpires need it,  the SNY truck needs it...and us fans? We need it too. We have to work that muscle in again, what baseball feels like, what baseball looks like, how it paces, how it goes. You would think by now with as many games as we die-hards take in year in and year out, we'd be so familiar with it, especially considering it is on 24/7/365 in this day and age. Still, I think one has to feel it out year in and year out and sidle back on into the rhythm, the play and that sense in your brain.

This day and age for me personally, however, I feel so overwhelmed by everything in my life that I haven't had time to just sit, relax and watch a ballgame, much less listen to a spring game on the radio. I am both in a heightened state of being overwhelmed yet finally am practicing, or at least attempting, to train myself to take it easy, take everything step-by-step, go easy on myself while holding myself accountable. I'm trying to both train new muscles and work out older muscles I've hardly used over the last few years, writing included. Whether it is our physical strength or theoretical muscles, we all need training to get ourselves to where we need to be. You generally don't just show up "In The Best Shape of (Your) Life," without having gotten to that point by doing what they say you need to do to get to that place on the corner of 57th and 7th: Practice.

When it comes to the sounds of baseball on the radio, however, they sidle on in so eloquently and naturally to compliment the sounds of the city of the ballteam we all so adore. On Opening Day, though the "City" was the one with Jersey in its name, I had the game on the old fashioned way with the AM dial...yes, THAT frequency set-up...tuned into the new home of the 2019 New York Mets, WCBS 880. All of a sudden, I could breathe. Combined with the warming temperatures and sunny disposition of the tri-state that day, I didn't feel I had needed ear training to appreciate the feeling of baseball being back in my life. I had just gotten right back on the bike after all this time.

All weekend, it was how I took in this new incarnation of the New York Mets. Part of the beauty of listening to the game is that you imagine what is going on visually based on how smoothly the announcers, in our case Howie Rose and Wayne Randazzo in his first year officially as Howie's right-hand man, describe the scene to our ears and brains. Part of listening to the game is the anticipation of seeing the moments visually later on in your day. In today's media landscape, us fans can see the highlight of what we heard in a matter of moments if we so choose. My job, however, renders me unable to take my eyes off the road (as, really, is everybody's job while driving...) so I must wait till I am not working Lyft to take it all in at once.

Here are some things I liked seeing from our team this first weekend of baseball in 2019:

• The Mets MO is winning on Opening Day. They get their fans' hopes up, but ironically have never won the World Series thereafter in seasons they win the first game of the year (a trend I hope they change this year.) There are many incarnations of Mets teams that have won on Opening Day, so we are trained to take the results with a grain of salt. In the moment, however, it is nice when the plan comes together TO A TEE: get a couple runs for your ace, play crisp defense and have your bullpen hold the lead. The Mets took advantage of a HR prone Max Scherzer (he gave up 23 of them last year, folks) got an insurance run late and did what they hardly could do in 2018 for our horse: give him a W.
• The Mets offensive approach looks much more professionally sound than in recent past seasons. They have a clear idea of what they want to do up there and are executing it so far. They are laying off some junk a good amount of the time, taking what the pitcher gives them and gliding the ball the other way. Players like Jeff McNeil and rookie Pete Alonso are doing a great job, with some tough pitches, of getting the barrel on the ball and making solid contact. All good so far, keep it up.
• They showed resilience and resolve to take advantage of a so far weak Nationals bullpen and even though lose the last game, gave themselves a chance to win...they've given themselves a chance in every single game they've played so far. No way, obviously, to go 162-0, but if you continue to put yourself in positions to win, you will do so more often than not. Keep executing, fellas.

It is so cliché of me to say, but I have so much else on my mind regarding muscles I need to train and retrain that when Mets baseball comes along, whether its just listening to the game to relax me while I attend to other stuff or producing the podcasts talking about the sport and team we love, I'm able to put all my troubles aside and just smile and laugh about it, even when we're complaining about them. Even though listening to the game feels like the first day I rode that bike perfectly back in the day, baseball and its role as a pleasant distraction is a muscle I was sorely in need of retraining. I think I'm well on my way.

We at A Metsian Podcast with Sam, Rich and Mike have been lucky enough to generally get together on Thursdays and Opening Day was no exception, with Faith and Fear in Flushing's Greg Prince joining us to discuss the new edition to the New York Metropolitan history books.

I was also lucky enough to talk Mets, burgers and BBQ with Metstradamus himself, John Coppinger, on his Burgerball podcast, on-location from the Barnwood Restaurant parking lot as I ciphered off their WiFi which I paid them back for with the purchase of a pulled pork sandwich afterwards. Along with plugging a burger I had had the night before at Rathbone's on 88th and 2nd in Manhattan, this was a fun time I highly recommend you take in. 

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends. Though that isn't the song I'm going to go with to close us off. As I'm trying to train and retrain my physical and mental muscles, I'm going to go with a song I keep going back to lately: Mind Power by James Brown.

FLEX. THAT. MUSCLE.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Newest Breed: A History & Guide to the Mets Fan, Pt. 1

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you....

Author/Blogger Greg Prince and The Chapman Family reminisce and opine on the Mets, the team's history and their personal fandom.

Produced, Edited and Directed by Sam Maxwell​
Original Score by Adam Spiegel​
Filmed on Location in New York City, San Francisco, Central New Jersey and at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse​ at Broadway and 11th Street in Manhattan

Stay tuned for Part 2 on 3/30/18!

A New Horizon

All of a sudden, I found myself having to make a rather quick decision as to what my fate would be only two weeks later. It didn’t make sense to procrastinate a decision or a move. 

Sam Maxwell on Instagram
"Da City": Canvas by D.E. Cayard, aka The Professor
Pennant and Bobblehead brought to you by the NY Mets

I had originally, about a year ago, honed in on November ‘17 as a deadline to leave New York for a bit, with the plan to go study screenwriting in London starting then. I postponed that till January, but all of a sudden, in a place called Denver, Colorado, doctors discovered pancreatic cancer, stage 2, in my Dad. We found out stage 2 is good, grading on a curve, of course, as usually that type of cancer is not discovered till stage 4. Early October, I visited for a couple days, but there was a feeling that the right thing to do, for my dad, my family, and myself at this particular junction of my life, was to leave New York for the first time since I was 10, 22 years ago, and move to Denver, putting the London adventure off till April.

My Dad's doing great. He has been getting chemo to try to get the small tumor to operation-size, so we can snip it out of there. We're almost to the latter part of that sentence.

A brief overview for you, also, of my dad (don't ask me about the mustache headshot on the link :| 

So you can understand my rather optimistic take on the entire thing:

My dad didn't survive Vietnam, drunk driving, bar fights (he's sober 38 years now), three divorces, getting bumped from a jet that went down in the Everglades in the 90's, and getting fired from Goldman Sachs downtown on Friday, September 7, 2001, to let cancer get the best of him.

I type this as I fly across the country on a trip to the City for a quick fix before the end of the year (I have since flown to and fro our town and Denver.) It almost felt sacrilegious to put this chapter of my life in the past without a taste of New York during the holidays. How could I miss that? About two weeks ago, I was having a pretty homesick day out in Denver, and I was reminded of when I first got to New York from Florida. My dad saw I was missing my friends heavily and flew me down for a quick weekend. I never looked back. That’s what this felt like, and I pulled the trigger on a trip. Sunday night till tues morning.

I was becoming stagnant in New York. I needed to take the city with me to spread my wings. I’ll hone my craft and hone my skills elsewhere, and then take the benefits that come with all that and spend it in New York. I love this fucking town too much to say goodbye for too long.

Unfortunately, that brings me to another goodbye that I must make, and that is to Rising Apple, the Mets blog site I have been a part of since 2012. I have not been able to consistently write or podcast for them for a long time now, so it is about time I make it official.

I had just started blogging only 2 months before Rising Apple came a-knockin’. At the time, they only had about 400 followers on twitter...that number is now over 7,000. The growth started with Matt Musico, then Danny Abriano took the Rising Apple Mets presence to a whole 'nother level. He then had help from Michelle Ioannou, with JT Teran taking over co-editing duties once Metsblog scooped up Danny. Michelle wasn't too far behind Danny's footsteps, leading to Christina Cola currently sharing co-editing duties with JT. 

We started the podcast in 2013 and along with Matt Musico, fellow writers Will Deboer, Dan Haefeli, Kevin Baez, Rich Sparago, Mike Lecolant, and most recently Nick Ceraso, had a blast talking the good, the bad and the ugly of Mets past and present almost every week, with each other and plenty of guests over the years. 

The one thing that I think all of us at Rising Apple keep as the main thread of the site, whether we’re talking about how thrilled we are for a move, or a win, or a milestone, or we’re pissed off that Sandy is double-talking or the Wilpons will not spend like a New York team, we never forgot that our passion for the Mets is driven by just pure, unadulterated fun. We have fun. And that, as far as I’m concerned, always shone through our writings and audible words.

I’ll miss being a part of that team, but it is time to move on. Thank you, each and every one of you that I have worked with on the site over the years. The Apple Rising represents the pinnacle of Mets success, and the optimism Mets fans have in their team even when things are pointing to utter disaster. Keep that spirit going, Rising Apple. It has been a blast.

The next chapter for me starts immediately, and with a sneak peek for all of you as to what I am currently working on. When I still had my DSLR, a Canon t3i, I captured about 10 hours of Mets footage as well as interviews with The Chapman’s, a family of die-hards, and author/blogger Greg Prince, whom I have referred to as “The Mets Fan Incarnate” on these digital pages. It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally been able to start editing the footage together. Below is a sneak peek of “The Newest Breed,” which I will release on February 9, 2018. For now, enjoy! And as always...

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN’.

LET’S. GO. METS.

We

"If you collect baseball cards, yet you don’t have one of me, don’t fret. Your set is still complete. If you haven’t seen me in your official yearbook, no matter how revised the edition, it wasn’t a misprint. Fast-forward or rewind through any game you’ve saved on your DVR. You won’t find me in action. I say this because if you don’t know me and start to read what I’ve written in the pages ahead, you might be confused, because I tend to slip in and out of a certain pronoun of the first-person plural kind. 

We. As in we won, we lost, we beat the Nationals, we went into first place, we were going to the playoffs, that sort of thing. The “we” in question is the New York Mets, a baseball team for whom, as of this writing, 1,007 baseball players have played since April 11, 1962. Chronologically, they encompass everybody from Richie Ashbury to Tim Stauffer...Alphabetically, they run from David Aardsma through Don Zimmer. 

However you track your Mets, you won’t find Greg Prince among them. I never could hit, hit with power, pitch, throw or field, not even in my distant youth. I don’t think I’d have made much of a holler guy, either, so you can cross “intangibles” off my scouting report. 

What I do for the Mets is root for them. I’ve been rooting for them virtually my entire life and writing about them on a regular basis for more than a decade. My rooting and writing converge at Faith and Fear in Flushing, the blog my friend Jason Fry and I update after every game the Mets play and often when they’re at rest. 

We say “we” a lot there. It doesn’t occur to us not to….When the Mets do something, it’s “we” who feel it as much as any Met. 

Now and then, someone comes along to scold those of who default to “we” for our use of first-person plural, as if we hadn’t noticed we don’t dress for games in the Met clubhouse. You’re entitled to take these things literally. We don’t. We love the Mets too much to spiritually separate ourselves from their ranks. If we could, we wouldn’t care enough to be so engaged in their daily doings. 

When you read the story that ensues in this volume, you’ll be taking it in from the perspective of a highly engaged fan. I’ve written a couple of other books about the Mets, I’ve had articles published in various places and I’m very proud of our blog, but don’t mistake me for a “sportswriter.” I say that with nothing but respect for those who make a living talking to players, watching from press boxes, and banging out copy on deadline. I’m just not one of those people. In case you came here looking for inside information, you’ll come away empty. I was watching the 2015 Mets the same way I imagine you were: as a fan who wanted them to win….this isn’t so much my story as it is the Mets’ story…which is to say that if you are a Mets fan like I am a Mets fan, it is OUR story. 

Let’s go immerse ourselves in it again..."

--Greg W. Prince, "Amazin' Again: How the 2015 New York Mets Brought the Magic Back to Queens" 

Opening Chapter: "Here We Go."

All winter long, I'd randomly watch a highlight reel, or a certain game, or every Yoenis Cespedes home run from 2015. 2015 was being thought of constantly, relived, smiles ensuing, the winter doldrum warmed up, even though it felt like the warmest New York winter on record. It warmed us all up inside while a heavy snowstorm enraged outside the day Yoenis Cespedes resigned with the Mets, and it was fun getting on air to talk about it. I may not have been on a Converted roll, taking the winter to just refresh after a rollercoaster of a season, but I was certainly active in Metsian fandom affairs. It wasn't just a transitional year for the Mets, it was a transitional year for me. Though I guess we all felt it.

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

We've all been waiting to officially turn the page to 2016. January 1st doesn't change our calendar year. It officially starts the day WE take the field. Only 2015 was glaringly still there on Sunday night. It didn't feel like a new year, a new highlight, a 2016 mark. There were some good signs, with the team showing some fight late, and the new middle infield looking, even if in short sample size, a much more sound duo than we've been used to seeing over the last few years. 

As the season started up, I knew I needed to get back into the swing of things on here. I, and we, moved on up in 2015, but we didn't win the big one. We didn't finish it off, though we were in good position to do so. There's always room to improve, but it's a hard road, and fitting that the same formula that failed us in the Series was front and center for the first memory of the 2016 season.

On Monday night...well, really around 3:30 something in the morning of Tuesday...I got into bed thinking I was doing some reading before dozing off for the night. Then, it was 7:30 in the morning, and I had finished the 2015 season once and for all. I had relived it through Greg W. Prince's, and our, perspective. As I had dedicated myself to finishing the book that early morning, I knew I couldn't really sit down to kick off the 5th season of Converted Mets Fan, and the 12th season of being a Converted Mets Fan, without finishing what we had documented on paper through the perspective of our friend, Greg. At that point, it just felt appropriate. I finally got to the acknowledgements, and was not for the life of me expecting to see what I saw:

"...Sam Maxwell, who converted to Metsdom so fully you'd think he was born that way."

Though there had been an elusion to conversion earlier in the book when discussing Mets fand-...echem, excuse me...Metsdom, I didn't expect to see my name in print in a book about the Mets. I personally have never written anything, other than a poem in high school that got published in some HS publication, that used a printing press to put my words to paper. And here, the Mets Fan Incarnate felt it strong enough to acknowledge my Converted presence with ink off the presses. It's beyond humbling. And I thank you for it, and reciprocate the affection, sir.

(Oh, also...GO BUY AMAZIN' AGAIN'.)

There's something about We. And it's something I didn't necessarily recognize the second I joined the Metsian river midstream. Choosing to so fully saturate myself in Orange and Blue, for one, was never not an option, for that's how I initially dove into baseball when I first fell in love with it at 13, and that's the kind of Yankee fan I was. And that's just how I am with all my passions. And regarding the term "we," I'm sure I picked that up from other fans over the years, but there's no one particular memory of when I started saying that. It just felt natural from the birth of my baseball fandom to refer to my baseball team as "we" when discussing our baseball fates with other fans. Regarding the Metsian "we", I needed these now 11 years to fully understand the encompassing Metsian experience. 

It took closing the book on 2015 early yesterday morning to dive into this new season of 2016. The new year is upon us, and the Mets have won a game.

Though one thing certainly hasn't changed: The only Mets pitcher to beat the Royals in the last 6 months is Noah Syndergaard. Let's just pitch him in every game next time.

So, as we have way too many days off before our next game, and the first of our home scheduling, this Friday afternoon, I leave you with the way Mr. Prince finished the opening chapter quoted above...

"...And Let's Go Mets."

Yes. Let's.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

The Dawn

I headed into this morning, as I have done all the late nights I finish with work recently, tired and just wanting to go home as I gear up for vacation this weekend. I didn't want to write, and if I were to write about the Mets soon, it would be when I woke up near or an hour before midday, and write then, since they next play at 7 tonight. I'd even watch all I missed with my eyes that my ears picked up, to see what exactly happened in the almost calamitous 9th inning, digest it, go to sleep and write tomorrow.

But then I read Greg Prince Pledge Allegiance.

And I feel I don't need to write too much, and just let him speak for all of us.

 Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

It is strange that the last 2 posts I have written were inspired by the folks of Faith and Fear in Flushing, but Greg, in these wee pre-dawn hours, alerted me and us to the fact the 9th inning allowed for the "echoes" of history with a 5-3 win, the same score as the Mets 1st clinching World Series Victory. It didn't register with me the first time around, even if a lot of the talk on both the radio and TV was about the 1969 matchup between the two teams facing each other, the New York Metropolitans and the Baltimore Orioles. So, I appreciate Greg bringing it to my attention.

And I appreciate being on the dawn of the rest of this season. I have not written nearly as often as past years, especially my inaugural season of 2012, when I'm pretty sure I wrote every day. Greg's piece is short and sweet, and just what that game needed from Faith and Fear in Flushing's perspective. I'm sure Greg was tired when he published the article at 2:55am, but he still got it done. So, I thank you, Greg, for reminding me that it doesn't matter how much you write, just as long as you're writing everyday.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'. as I like to say these days...

And

LET'S. GO. METS.

Well, If the Mets Fan Incarnate Has Been Born Again...

...then there must be something to all this.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, for the 2nd #HarveyDay of the year, and one where our ace was feeling under the weather, the place was once again rocking, and it did especially when it was dire. Two vital players had gone down in the 7th inning, and the Marlins were bearing down, having cut the lead to 1, it now being the 9th and a runner on. I will admit, it was the most Metsian angst I had had all week, though it wasn't in 2010 form, or '11, '12, '13, or '14 form. As Greg Prince, whom I like to call the Mets Fan Incarnate, said on Faith and Fear in Flushing when the winning streak had only reached 6, this feels different:

"You can draw parallels and comparisons with previous seasons and their encouraging beginnings. You can project out from the best of the past anything you want. Yet I’m not tempted to. I’ve spent most of my existence keeping close tabs on this franchise and I’m telling you: this feels different.  

I feel equally untethered to the unrelenting sour times of the recent past and the occasionally glorious times of the distant past, and I don't mind. I take comfort in knowing it's all back there and that it all informs what we expect and how we react. Trust me, I know where to find it should I need it. This 2015 journey, though, is its own thing: kinda young, kinda now...kinda free, kinda wow."

So, even though everything COULD theoretically fall apart with a runner on and Giancarlo Stanton up with 2 outs, us fans were going to be every bit as confident and involved as every player on the Mets 25-man roster.

It hurt, but we've won 8 straight.

It sucks that I have to say this again, as I did after David Wright went down, but I think this team will once again absorb the blow.

This feels different.

This feels like the 2015 New York Mets.

FUNKY FRESH.

LET'S. GO. METS.

A Weird Sigh of Relief

Listen, the Mets are going to be the Mets.

We've come to realize this.

And unfortunately, they've showed promise throughout their history of a franchise ready to break out.

You look through most of Mets history, it's littered with teams that just couldn't get over the hump. After their first 6 years of losing 100 games, the Mets generally tended to avoid that. And teams that don't lose 100, like the teams we've gotten used to over the last 6 years, are ones that will show way too much promise in all the wins they put together, only to botch most of the losing ones. And its weird about losing teams, 'cause I'm sure other losing teams out there in different geographies blow most of their games, too. But some just get shellacked from the get-go. The Mets...well, as certain people have documented, they have always seemed to be way too close to be losing so much.

But this weekend, unlike other weekends spent in Miami, this team took 3 of 4, and needed one of the greatest throwing performances in baseball history to lose one, and even that came with some flaws from everyone involved (including Major League Baseball). Those plays just aren't NEARLY as fun anymore. Players are forgetting, because the rule is so vague, that ACCORDING to the rule, you can STILL run the catcher over if he has the ball. But you literally have a SPLIT-SECOND basically to notice he has the ball and decide that you are going to run them over. Just like it takes time and seasoning to really recognize a ball entering your plane on its way from someone's hand 60 feet 6 inches away, it's gonna take some time for players to adjust to completely altering how you go about that play.

Through it all, though, the Mets took a 3 of 4 out of Miami this weekend, beginning with a resounding 1-0 win by Zack Wheeler and ending resoundingly in the last game (that was partly begun with an awesome suicide squeeze.)

And no matter what the Marlins can be, they can also be the Marlins sometimes. And you know what I just said makes COMPLETE sense. So, even when the Marlins are losing 98 games, it's always nice to take 3 of 4 to the Marlins.

And I think I've come to realize...I actually like the Marlins uniforms. In that utter hatred type of way.

Look, as a baseball fan you want the full baseball experience, especially in your rivalries, and in that great baseball way, you want your rival to have a clear, defining contrast to your clear, defining uniform identity. And the Marlins in their Miami incarnation have made much more of a clear, defining decision with their aesthetic identity. Forget the fact that I was KINDA a Marlins fan when I was a mild to cold baseball fan, and do happen to love the clear-cut choice of the teal at the beginning (though they are REALLY ugly), but they got away from straight-up teal and that just wasn't nearly as cool in its ugliness. So, I actually give credit to the Marlins for going all-in on their Miami incarnation. You actually found something more annoying than the plainness of the Florida one. I applaud you for making that decision to add yourselves to the history of the baseball uniform.

The straight-up orange ones, though, are REALLY ugly and shouldn't exist.

And there's freakin' FISH to the left of their home plate, for cryin' out loud.

Who we taking on next? Let's see...

Oh. OAKland.

Well...

There's only two things left to say...

LET'S. GO. METS....

And

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.

Is This Series Over Yet?

'Cause I got other things to do.

Not like the Mets are going to stop playing innings after they leave the Phillies, just probably not as many.

Probably....

Then again, unless you can get big hits more often and earlier, then the innings will keep rolling on. We've seen a bunch of extra inning games in the last few years, and I would like to do the research as to their record in such games, but I literally should be doing anything BUT looking that stuff up.

At quick glance, it looks like its an epidemic throughout all of baseball, with extra-inning records apparently set last year.

The Mets are lucky to have come away with 3 out of 4 so far, guaranteeing them a winning series against the Phillies. They've tortured the bullpen, however, leading to two bullpen moves over the weekend.

Who am I to complain? I actually like baseball and enjoy when it's bonus, for I do like a well-pitched ballgame.

...Unless its the Phillies and the Mets just keep doing stupid stuff.

All in all, though, it's been a fun one, and another memory to look back on.

"Hey, remember when the Phillies and the Mets played 57 innings in 5 days?"

Let's hope that's the ceiling. Because there's a grand possibility that the ceiling is higher...

WELCOME. TO. JUNE.

LET''S. GO. METS.

(I wasn't sure what song to use for this post, so I typed "Funky Baseball" into Youtube.

OH MY GOD. I'm SOOOO happy I found that.

Sidenote: If you missed Faith and Fear in Flushing's Greg Prince on the Bedford & Sullivan podcast this weekend talking NY NL legacy, plus plenty of great baseball tangents, head on over there. A fantastic episode indeed.)

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.

Hear it on a Podcast

After the Mets won 5-0 yesterday afternoon to finish the rocky homestand on a high note, I took part in a podcast doubleheader, as did the host of the 2nd podcast.

First, Taryn "The Coop" Cooper of A Gal for All Seasons joined a jam-packed 76th episode of The Rising Apple Report, which also included Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing. With Rich Sparago hosting, we also welcomed a fellow screenwriter, Brian Winett, who is looking to raise funds to buy the LA Clippers and turn them into a non-profit institution that puts the money invested by the customer back into the community. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Mets fan who doesn't believe that our issues stem from the top down, so it is fascinating to have the conversation and hear Brian explain his vision.

Oh, and we also debuted the new opening jingle, performed and recorded at my neighbor's studio The Smooth Spot (check it out for all your recording needs!)

Online Sports Radio at Blog Talk Radio with Rising Apple Report on BlogTalkRadio

Directly after the end of that show, I headed over to NDB Media, where Coop was waiting and ranting in The Mets Lounge. We kept up discussion on what Dave Hudgens had to say about the fans booing at home, as well as Sandy stating that payroll will go up when revenue goes up. With lots of folks feeling that was another shot directed at fans, I mentioned that I think we might be misinterpreting who Sandy was ribbing with that comment...

I also recapped my transformation from Yankee fan to Mets fan, which was a lot of fun to go over.

Lots of time before the Mets start a 5-GAME SERIES against the Phillies tonight, so do yourself a favor and bask in the sounds of what might be perceived as Metsian therapy these days.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Discover Entertainment Internet Radio with NDB Media on BlogTalkRadio

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.

What THEY Said

Don't think that my absence on here has meant I've been too busy to be paying attention to the Mets. I'm ALWAYS paying attention to the Mets, but I clearly haven't been paying attention to putting my experience into words on here. For what has just happened, today, I will let the Mets Fan Incarnate speak for me on that:

They couldn’t pitch in Denver. They couldn’t hit in Miami. Throw it all into a blender, designate a deserving scapegoat or two for assignment and you wind up pouring yourself a tall glass of mediocrity, which is more or less the best you could hope for in the short term. We probably figured that in March, which doesn’t signal the end of the world, only a continuation of what was coming all along. There’ll likely be quite a bit of blending the worst we anticipated with a few not so unpleasant surprises.

--Greg Prince, Faith and Fear in Flushing

Yeah. Laugh it up, Terry.

And that's because Terry Collins isn't the man to man the ship when this team is finally ready to compete. I wish Wally would just be the guy already, but that's not going to happen in the middle of the season. I like Terry and I like the respect he garners, but he needs to be reassigned. Period.

Another link I wanted to bring up is the below about changes that (could really never be) done because of structural issues but would have been nice when you got the only chance you had. AND something Brendan Weingarten suggests I was JUST SAYING to a couple people at Citi Field the other day (well, I said they should have built left and right field reversed):

I love going to Citi Field, but there are some things I would change. For instance, I would take out the Upper Decks in LF. It’s an unpopular place to sit at Citi, and is almost always empty. It blocks a great view of the Flushing Bay, which is only visible between the gap of the LF Upper Decks and the Scoreboard when you sit in the first base-side Upper Decks. There is a barely visible Out-Of-Town Scoreboard that seems like it’s an afterthought. Maybe not now, but once the money is there, and we don’t need more to spend on players, I’d rip these seats out...It would make for a big concourse, and allow the view of the bay in. On the concourse, there could be statues of Seaver, Carter, and Piazza overlooking the field that would make Citi more unique. Concessions with a more open view to the field, and a larger horizontal out-of-town scoreboard where the building behind the upper deck is would make for a better fan experience. The cutoff would be where the Acela Club (Large LF Restaurant behind foul pole) stops.

--Brendan Weingarten, Take the 7 to Citi 

First of all, and I didn't put this as a comment on the guy's page yet, but I think structurally, since they said they couldn't do much to the outfield walls because of structural issues, taking the entire left field side out would probably be impossible without some major restructuring that would probably be extremely complicated. Let's be honest: no matter how much of a joy it is to take a game in at Citi Field, they half-assed the whole place and didn't do enough to make it their own. I was looking around and thinking about Flushing Bay out there the other day, and I said that they should have designed the place in reverse. They should have had the large upper deck on the right field side and have left field open with Pepsi Porch or whatever. The only thing I can think of is that they just thought that was an ugly view, with a highway and an airport. Bull. It's the charm of Flushing Bay and Willets Point. Embrace the place you live in. My God. As my fellow Rising Apple writer, the Brooklyn Trolley Blogger Mike Lecolant, has stated: You only get one chance at some things in life.

Lastly, I will have Greg Prince speak for me once more:

I took part in a little Mets fan group therapy Wednesday night on the Rising Apple podcast. Listen here and heal thyself.

With Greg, Steve Keane of The Kranepool Society, The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger, Rich Sparago and myself, there are plenty of amazing quotes to go around.

Enjoy the off day, everybody. As the cliché goes, they can't lose today.

16-17.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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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.