Silly Metsian Angst

As a no-hitter enters its potential final stage, that's when the sports fan has the most tension, or usually does. The last 3 innings, we are sitting on our hands, as they say. We are biting our nails and exuding ecstasy on every out that gets us closer to the never-promised land. It's funny how excited we can get only to bring ourselves back to a nervous state rather instantly. It's funny how the human chemicals work in that brain.

I'm not sure if anybody else wasn't really all that nervous as Zack Wheeler brought that no-hitter into the 7th, and got the 1st out as well. It should be the same kind of Metsian angst every time. Maybe last night was different because I didn't expect it to finish that way. Maybe the Nohan is still so fresh that I am not as angsty anymore. Maybe I just didn't feel all that well. Regardless, my Metsian Angst felt more subdued.

After a safe hit was achieved by the Fish, No-hitting angst quickly turns to Win-The-Ballgame angst. What is it about a potential Mets playoff run on this last day of July that makes us care and feel emotion for the Mets more than a good chunk of things in our lives? What is it about this game and this team that gives us irrational stress? 

Is it because we inherently believe that if the Mets can turn it around, so can we?

There is no real reason to have that feeling that "we don't know what we will do if the Mets keep losing." You know you've briefly either said it to yourself or heard someone say it or retweeted someone typing it.

The thing is, we all know exactly what we're going to do if the Mets keep losing.

We'll keep watching. Looking forward to them turning things around.

We kinda like baseball a bit. We monitor and speculate and debate and create the pitch sequences in our heads. The bottom line is it's never not fun. There are degrees of fun, but it's always fun.

The human being has never been accused of being TOO rational.

We don't necessarily have to add the type of stress and angst that generally belong to teenagers.

But that's something that's fun about it, too.

We like the element of it that connects us to our childhood, which we can toss out the window for about 21 hours or so while there isn't a baseball game on, laughing it up and debating it with our friend whose a fan of the other team, forgetting about how much you kinda hated each other for that bit of time.

There is a reason Gary Cohen gets so pumped when the Mets get a big hit to drive in winning runs.

Besides the fact he's a genuine fan of the team, SNY know their audience.

We want to be irrational while the hypocritical world is telling us to be rational.

And we want to stay kids forever.

Even when the Mets lose.  

But especially when they win.

Way to go, John Buck.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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Happy Mejarvey Day?

Yesterday went rather well, don't you think?

The team continued to bounce back, looking anything but listless after a rather listless 8-2 loss.

Eric Young, Jr. headed out of the game, though, as a precaution for pulling up gingerly at 3rd, going back to the incident that led to Tim Hudson's season ending. Andrew Brown replaced him, and after Rich, Dan and I discussed on the Rising Apple Report the need for him to get some ABs soon, Brown delivered with some big hits.

Wheeler by no means looks spectacular yet. He by no means look awful either. Consistency is clearly the word, and he's on his way to finding it. The 1st run shouldn't have scored, but luckily John Buck made up for his throwing error (as well as his lazy error trying to backhand the curveball he called for) with a big-time double later in the game.

Oh, and the umps need to do a better job with these wacky dimensions that are a by-product of the original job that was done on Citi Field. Though I'm happy Metsian runs scored, David Wright's triple was clearly a ground-rule double, and yeah, the current dimensions are much better, but they have many troubling spots that the umps need to pay extra attention to, and yesterday was horrendous job on their part. I shouldn't be complaining since it helped the Mets, but what about when it won't help the Mets? Everything should be even and fair, and the umps doing a poor job always gets to me. They should be extra-aware of their surroundings, because it's not like those dimensions just appeared.


We are now on our way to 4 games in 3 days against the struggling Washington Nationals, who unfortunately got a shot in the arm yesterday by walking off against Pittsburgh.

Today's doubleheader will feature not only Matt Harvey (who pitches this evening) but a blast from the past who could easily be a big part of our future. It's just that Jenrry Mejia has been around, up and down, twisted and turned, and back again for what feels like an eternity. They have been as uneven with their plan for the kid as any team has ever been with a prospect, and we can't say definitively that it has led to all these injuries, but for now, in this moment, none of that matters. It only matters how he performs today, and we'll go....somewhere from there.

Happy Me...jarvey Day? 
Sure...Happy Mejarvey Day everyone!

LET'S. GO. METS. 

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Breaking Through the 5-run Stigma

For 30 Citi Field Games, the Mets run total per each didn't creep higher than 5.

I hadn't been listening as I was in class at the start and then headed over to a friend's place who could honestly care less about the game of baseball, much less the Mets (though he does where a black fitted Mets cap around town, and has no idea what anybody is talking about when strangers say, "What's going on with the Mets, man?")

Though it all meant that rain had delayed the game, I was still happy to be able to catch what was left when myself, my friend and his girlfriend all basically had a communal work session. Clearly, that meant one earbud would bring me the rest of the game, and it was quite the time to be tuning in, with the Mets breaking through for a 7-run 7th.

Much needed laugher at the place they call the Field of the Citi.

I can't tell you enough how impressive it is to see some unfamiliar names go out there and compete with this National League, and they've been doing so for a solid stretch of games lately.

I'd like to single out Anthony Recker, who does not get a lot of playing time but always seems to contribute when he does, even with a .182 AVG. The 10 hits he's been able to collect have also produced 10 RBI, including 3 HR, 1 of which got the scoring started in the 5th. I like his short, compact swing, and would like to see it more considering John Buck has played waaaaaaaay too much,  which may be one of the reasons he's in such a deep hitting funk.

We are used to seeing the Mets have fantastic 1st halves only to falter by July. Why not have a season where that trend is turned on its head?

#HappyHarveyDay.

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.

Suspended Disbelief

One thing about following on Gameday is, like the olden days when hoards of people would follow in places like Times Square on an manually updated, diamond-shaped scoreboard, you don't get the full story. You have to wait for the written word, or in our modern day case, the videos to pour into the Gameday app.

Last night, such was the case as the Mets came back all night to tie the Braves before rain suspended it after 8 at 5-all. When I saw that Lucas Duda singled in the 1st run, and I went, "good for him!" I didn't know how much of a blooped, misplayed single it was (but you'll take 'em where ya get 'em, amiright?) When John Buck homered, it might as well have been just over the wall, as opposed to the mammoth shot that it was. There is a level of anticipation in seeing the whole Metsian story as it rolls in after the fact, and that's cool. But certainly no substitute for the real thing.

The Mets did a great job showing life all night by coming back a few times against one of their arch-rivals. 

Now, they've gotta win the damn thing. 

And luckily I'll be able to watch both the (hopefully) last inning of last night's game (capped with a Mets win) followed by tonight's 2nd game of the 3-game set.

That'll be awesome.

...And We're Back.

After a few days of hardly being able to pay full attention to those Mets of ours, I was finally able to take in nothing but the game, and some great chatter about our favorite pastime. The drama of life in Boston this week was a prevalent beast in the background and foreground of many of our individual narratives, climaxing as Harvey showed how Better (and always Baller) he is.

The (majority of the) Rising Apple Crew finally took in a game together, and though the Mets battled, as they've been known to do this year, at the end of the day Terry Collins made a Laffey out of it.

(I'm going to cover my feelings on Terry's status over at Rising Apple this week.)

A very creative individual whose name I unfortunately failed to get masking-taped BUCK over a certain J. Bay, updating his t-shirt with the times. Before Edgin was in 1 pitch too late, The New 44 made his presence felt once more, singling in what was the tying run. As this team grows, it's easy to take losses like this in stride. A very fun day at the ballpark, with an odd and interesting loss to take in.

And it was a lot of fun catching Neil Diamond live at Fenway while on line for food.


My ears will probably be the main sense that takes in the rubber match of this early divisional matchup.

Gee-funk it up tomorrow.

But for now, here's a song for the night.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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Flurry Fever

I had to go with a pun, and I'm sure somewhere out there someone already used this. I thought briefly of going with "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow," but that was too cliché. I was just going to go with "Snowball" but I overdid that one on Twitter last night, to the point where Twitter was like, "Um...dude...You're tweeting WAY too much, man." 

So, I'll just go with Flurry Fever.

Wow, I just wasted a lot of time that could have been spent talking about baseball talking about snow puns.

Anyway, last night was one of the most memorable Metsian moments in my fandom history. Watching the Mets throw up two early 5-spots while it snowed was fun, surreal and just plain awesome.

And it's hard to comprehend the ridiculousness that is currently John Buck.





And why did this sweet twinkle-toes double play not get any Quick Pitch Premier Play love, MLB Network?


Also, I can't imagine what Met fans would have said had the Target Field dimensions been the original ones at Citi Field. One of its issues is that all the walls are way too tall. One of Citi Field's issue, though obviously about The Great Wall of Flushing, was that they generally tried to force quirkiness everywhere.


Anyway, before the 4 'O Clock Baller session in Minneapolis today, I'm gonna go see an early Saturday showing of 42.

I've attempted to avoid all reviews so I can start my judgements from scratch ('cause I'm going to most likely be ubër critical. Though I'm sure I"ll enjoy it.)

Between my dad and my friend, the avoidance has not worked.

But whatever. We'll get into it more before the weekend is over.

LET'S. GO. METS

Alright. Well. I couldn't help myself.

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Yeah. THAT Kyle Kendrick.

I still haven't seen The Duda's two BOMBS. I was driving so I only heard Howie (and Josh.)

Shall we do that together since, other than another Buck Shot, there wasn't too many Metsian thrills after Hefner couldn't handle the 1st? (One of those "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" games.)

Let's go see if any of the homers can be embedded....


Awww, that's too bad. Well....here's the first one.

And here's the second one.


Buck launched it on the first pitch he saw from Kyle Kendrick. Great Cohen Call.

And Jordany got 3 infield hits, making a couple nice catches. (still needs to hone A LOT of his skills.)

Buuuuuuut lotsa chances by the wayside, leading to a 7-3 loss to the Phillies for the first series loss of the year.


And now we head to the Twin Cities.....which are supposed to receive 10 inches of snow by the end of today's off-day.

Isn't Interleague play WACKY?!

LET'S. GO. METS

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Discussing the New Alternates Before Discussing Saturday's Win

I would love to talk about the 1st come-from-behind win of the year the Mets had yesterday against those annoying Marlins (I told you they'd still get on our nerves.) Yesterday, however, I completely failed to even get into the fact Friday Night was the first time they wore the new Blue jerseys. So, with the Orange and Blue hats dropping on Thursday with the Snow-whites, as well as in yesterday's 7-3 win, it makes sense to start this by talking about the alternates.

Firstly, and this is kinda outta character for me to utter an "only the Mets" line like this, but only the Mets would drop two alternate uniform items together (David Wright Presser) only to wear them separately the first time they wear either of them in the season.

Secondly, The Orange and Blue hats work well with the snow-whites. At first, it took me a second, and it wasn't like I was disgusted at first glance. Once you warm up to them, however, the combination is outstanding.

Thirdly, though I happened to like the combination of the full-blue hats and the blue jerseys better than I did with the Los Mets and more than I thought I would when I wrote about the direction I thought the blue uniform should go in, I would still like to see the guys in the combo David Wright wore. Maybe they decided that the Orange and Blue cap would only be worn on day games. Maybe they decided with the orange lettering and piping that the home jerseys have, the Orange and Blue cap would be better suited with the road grey lettering. I guess we shall possibly find out this week when the Mets head to Philadelphia and...Minnesota....

Anyway, having almost been a full day since an awesome victory (REGARDLESS of the opponent. I told you the Marlins are going to be annoying. And I don't even think it's because we're the supposed-to-be-in-4th-place-near-the-Marlins Mets. I think other National League East teams will find this team annoying, even if they still up with 90 losses...oh wait...I had a point outside of this parentheses...)

...The first thing off the top of my mind is that Ike still struggled a bit but got a couple solid and lucky hits. Combined with David's 3-4 day ('cause seriously. Nolasco.) Buck's continuing AWESOMENESS, an RBI triple by Daniel Murphy, another Cowgill shot, and a settled-in Jon Niese, and you have some good signs regarding this team over the first 5 games. Clearly some of the same concerns we had going into the season are there, but even through their struggles, the Mets look to be battling. 

Oh, and WHAT WAS THAT?!


Hopefully we don't get a Laffer out of Aaron Laffey today...

What is it? Pix 11 at 1?

Hope you're all having a great weekend. 

Enjoy some Sunday Orange and Blue.

Oh. And Random Gut Instinct: I think Terry either doesn't make the year if they struggle mightily or doesn't get brought back next year regardless...except in a Miracle situation...

RECKER. DEBUT.
LET'S. GO. METS.

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2-1 Padres is Perfectly Okay

It was bound to happen sometime.

And when you really think about it...wasn't it fine that The Mets didn't TAKE OFF only to drop down hard?

From where I was sitting on the 3rd base side of the field level, even my eyes were swinging at his changeup when it was 2/3 of the way to the plate. Eric Stults was nasty, and it wasn't until John Buck went yard in the 9th that any Met did anything of any magnitude against the Padres pitching.

This was still a game where the Mets and the fans settle into baseball...one where I could find a bunch of Mets Bloggers on the Shea Bridge and just stand around talking Mets baseball with a great center field view no matter how anemic the Mets offense was while the Gee-Funk pitched well enough to win.

Baseball's back, so though the Orange and Blue lose (because I wasn't wearing enough Orange and Blue), what a loss to celebrate, for the game is back in town, and eventually the wind won't be so fucking cold.

I'm off to the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse for a Swingin' '73 book event, written by Matt Silverman, one of the men who enjoyed the ol' ballgame with me today. If you're at 11th and Broadway at 7PM, stop on in.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Alright so here is where I would have cued up Let's Go Crazy by Prince, but Prince doesn't want anybody to hear it. So, best I can do right now, until THAT gets pulled off youtube, is this...

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Baller.

Everything about last night's game was baller.

The Duda?
Baller.

John Buck?
Baller.

David Wright?!
Always.

IKE DAVIS!?

But clearly, the most baller of the evening is Matthew Edward Harvey.

I have written about Matt Harvey's baller status before and all of us at Rising Apple poked slight fun at it in a Weekly Top Ten post. When somebody pitches that way, you don't have to say anything.

You just have to watch.


Dillon Gee goes for the series sweep with Eric Stults on the mound for the Fathers (what? that's what they're called...)

1:10PM Start time.

And we're just getting started...

BALL-ER. BALL-ER.
LET'S. GO. METS.

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11-2 Orange and Blue

I have told people who either don't pay attention or who aren't coming from the same angle as me that there was EASILY more talent on this Opening Day roster than on Opening Day of 2012. You have the likes of an unproven Collin Cowgill getting the spot of Andres Torres, whose ceiling (problem was mainly consistency, 'cause his great times were AWESOME) was never all that high to begin with. Then there is who ever you could argue is taking Jason Bay's roster spot, who could have been great, but unfortunately was the victim of many different circumstances, some of which we will get to later in this article. The roster is littered with those kinds of examples that made it clear even early on in spring that this 2013 New York Mets squad was attention-worthy. My optimism is always strong, but even before I witnessed an out-of-nowhere rout, you could tell there was potential for something special. Small-sample size aside, the things we discussed could be strengths for this team and characteristics the Mets stressed they wanted to get to as soon as possible in this season were felt. Moves made came together for a day, if not yet validated, and a fun time was had by all who encountered the New York Metropolitans on an early spring day in Flushing.

Every year is familiar but fresh. You are more experienced and the game is more experienced, and so the whole experience is always slightly surreal. Last year was less so, but with the Mets scoring 11 runs, it happened so fast that it was almost like I got off the 7, blacked out, then came to and the Mets had 11 runs.

The day began with my usual trek from Times Square on the 7 line. As always, one of the best parts of taking the train out to the game is passing by 5 Pointz. This year, though, I was not as inclined to snap away as I usually am, for the moment I was out of the tunnel, I got the technology ready I would need to broadcast live from the Elevated Circle 7. For the hell of it, I'm gonna embed it again.

Arriving at Willets Point with Greg Prince of FAFIF on the line and the podcast rolling was an absolute thrill and I am happy all parties involved were able to make it happen. Thanks to Rising Apple site editor Matt Musico, Staff Writer Dan Haefeli (who was in the parking lot at 10 and I, for some reason, mistook him live on-air as Staff Writer Danny Abriano), Robert Moreno of Fansided's Chicken Friars, and Greg. There was a lot of wind at some points, but you can here us plenty. And what was a lot of fun was that I met Dan Haefeli in the middle of us interviewing Robert, basing his on-air location description as a guide to where a man might just be pacing back and forth on his phone.

After the show was over, Dan and I headed to the gas station at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and the Grand Central Parkway to pick up a 6-pack of Flushing's Finest (Modelo.) We then found that very Abriano and Co., introducing ourselves for the very first time and enjoying some brews in the parking lot before making our ways to a jam-packed McFaddens.

After we all parted ways to go off to our respective sections, I noticed there was an exit to the side of the bar that went directly into a Citi Field entrance, one that arrives in the Center Field Food Plaza. Just in time as well, for I was able to catch the middle of Howie Rose's lineup introductions. Emmy Rossum then sang the National Anthem, an actress who now has more male Met fan fans (and I'm sure some ladies too) than she did before April 1, 2013 (myself, though, included in those fans she had prior to Opening Day.)



She was good, but my expectations were sky high having seen the following clip.



Anyway, I digress.


On his birthday, Rusty threw out the first pitch. I unfortunately missed what was apparently a tribute to the '73 squad at the beginning of the ceremonies, but I'm glad I caught Rusty (well...Anthony Recker caught Rusty.)



Baseball was settled into, and as I walked around at the beginning of the game, I was on the 3rd base side of the upper deck when I decided to call Greg Prince and see where he was at. Sure enough, I had literally stopped at his section, and hung up the phone to make my way up (if I remember correctly) section 526. I met a friend of his, and the three of us watched Jon Niese give up a first-pitch hit, but keep the inning together. Having received a text from an unexpected, though far from surprising, place, and with more people arriving in the section, I bid farewell to Greg and friend and made my way around to the 1st base side of the upper dekker, where an entire family of former Tranquillity Campers were indulging in baseball (when you have purchased a single seat, you are afforded more opportunity to work through the Citi in this manner.)

Post-game, Greg made a good point that our brief drop-by's have brewed luck of the good form for the Mets. Unfortunately, the times we've watched a whole game or the majority of one together have not stirred up similar outcomes.

Anyway, when I arrived to their section, the surrounding seats were (fortunately and unfortunately) completely filled (WHAT?! you say?). I sat in some empty seats at the top of the stadium while looking around my fellow Tranquillity-ites. The Mets made the wait very pleasant as John Buck, Ruben Tejada and Jon Niese helped turn zero on and 2 out into a 2-0 Mets lead. I then found my friends and sat at the end of their filled row. The inning ended and one of the sons made his way to the aisle (his two brothers could unfortunately not make the game). We settled for a brief catchup before I waved to his parents and traveled to my section, fully expecting to make my way back later in the game when the population over there was more modest.

I settled in around whatever my official seat was and caught the the majority of the early action. What was very noticeable was that the longer lineup we fans said the team now had potential to have was on full display.

Marlon Byrd, who should be doing it cleanly now and clearly seems to have determination in his eyes to prove last year was an aberration, was able to collect his first hits and RBI's as a Met.



Pitchers are usually going to get John Buck out. But it'll be because they had to battle him, not because he's an easy out. There's pop at the catching position again. I'm a fan of Thole, and I think last year he got thrown off, but when he's not going well, he doesn't have the pop to occasionally get into one, so he just ends up popping everything up. Pitchers have to come right at John because otherwise he will crush an apathetic pitch. It's a longer lineup.



Ruben Tejada had a terrible Spring, but found a pitch he liked in the 2nd and drove Buck in from 1st for the commencement of 2013 Metsian run-scoring. Below, he strikes out for the last of the 4th, and receives a little advice from 3rd base coach Tim Teufel.



Collin Cowgill just needed a shot. And he has been given one with the 2013 New York Mets. He collected his 1st hit AND not only his 1st career grand slam but his first home run in the Orange and Blue as well.

"The Grand Slam Triple" as I am now dubbing it, was yet another exploitation of how poorly designed the original concept for Citi Field is and was. Even though the walls have been corrected, the structural design that could not be corrected will most likely always be a constant reminder to how anti-climatic the walls were created. Let's forget the fact that Jason Bay's Mets career would have been completely saved had he, from the moment he got here in 2010, been able to just clock it off the wall out there for a home run. I'm glad the ball can dunk over the wall in front of part of the Great Wall of Flushing, but the fact the Grand Slam first appeared as a triple once again screams the walls should have never been designed that way in the first place. It is funny, however, how I film Collin standing into 3rd, pan to the fan celebration, then look back to the field unable to find where Cowgill went since I had missed the ump signaling the Grand Slam Triple.



Before the Grand Slam, and ironically helping to set up for the bases loaded, Jordany Valdespin made his 2013 debut, pinch-hitting for Brandon Lyon in that 7th (I had of course arrived back in the section where my Tranquillity family was for the latter part of the game.)

Guess how many pitches it took for Jordany to swing?



All of a sudden, it got real windy and real cold. It had been overcast but sunny and 60 for most of the day, but the clouds moving in near the water brought what seems to be another last cold front, winter continuing to sputter at the end. Thanks for most of Opening Day at least, Mother Nature.



Finally, we had reached the 9th, and the perfect opportunity was there for Scott Rice to make his Major League Debut after 11 years in the minors.

Gil Hodges celebrated with a little jig afterwards.



And we said goodbye to the day and hello to the 2013 New York Mets season. Opening Day was crazy all over the MLB, with my favorite outside of our general area of expertise being Clayton Kershaw's baller Opening Day performance.



Man, he CRUSHED that.


Tonight (besides the regularly scheduled 6:30PM EST podcast which will be posted on Rising Apple later today) Matt Harvey takes on Clayton Richards for game 2 of the Padres series tonight a 7:10PM EST.

Settlin' back in, everybody.

Baseball's back in town.


Here is a little short film of the footage I got on Opening Day (including footage from above AND footage unseen in clips on my Youtube.)

LET'S. GO. BASEBALL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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That Spring Feeling Starts a-Callin'

Though pitchers and catchers don't officially report till next Monday, the usual early birds are makin' us a little warmer than the 20-something degrees it is currently.

Mr. Met has done his annual photo-op.

Zack Wheeler is already throwing down there.

David Wright is in the cages.

Gee sans a winter goatee is workin' back into game shape.

John Buck is gettin' some swings in as well.

And Travis d'Arnaud is stoked to get things going.

Meanwhile, Ike sounds refreshed.

Michael Bourn has yet to sign, though our captain extended an invite.

Our man Tejada is reporting to PSL early (as opposed to last year) and Jenrry and Jeurys's roles are more defined.

...I can almost smell the grass through the occasional flurries that pass by...

(Oh, and Danny Abriano got an interview with Michael Fulmer, a prospect we are all keeping an eye on.)

Here's the Random Song of the Night.

FIVE. MORE. DAYS. NOW.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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