It's Groundhog Day...Again and Mets Daddy on A Metsian Podcast

I mean, what else can I say? I'll quote myself from the below A Metsian Podcast: "Well, It's Groundhog Day...again. It's almost a  feeling of Groundhog Day to continuously compare our fandom to that movie, but I'll tell you what? The next time I see Ned Ryerson, I'm going to punch him in the fucking face."

Photo via nypost.com

After taking in a game Monday in Philly, my first of the year where I actually still had a good time despite the final, I, like all other Mets fans, just kept watching the same thing over and over again, as we've been doing so for day after day, month after month, and year after year. Today should have been a day of celebration, with Tom Seaver being honored at Citi Field with the main address of 126th Street being named 41 Seaver Way. Instead, just the fact it was this far into the life of Citi Field, and Tom Seaver himself can't even take it in because he now has dementia...that they were doing it 3 hours before starting their 4th and final game against the Phillies...yet again, the ineptitude of the Wilpons are front and center. And then all we're talking about later on in the day is once more how AWFUL the Wilpons have allowed this team to be with another blown save. Today should have been a day of celebration, but instead, it is once more a reminder how how far this team is from those glory days of yesteryear, as well as the glory days of only 4 years ago.

How do they expect to ever have consistent winning? There is nothing they can do to change the way this team keeps going through these peaks and valleys operating the way they continue to operate. I am exhausted talking about them, yet it is the only thing we can do because it is SO GLARINGLY this team's BIGGEST issue.

We had a lot of great rants on the 30th episode of A Metsian Podcast last night, and I urge you to tune into listen to Rich, Mike and John aka Mets Daddy, as well as I, rant, rave and holler about this gloriously awful team we love to love.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 28 - Subway Series Bronx Edition Recap & Looking Ahead

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast enters episode 28!

We'll recap the Subway Series doubleheader in the Bronx, look ahead to an important 4-game series with the Cardinals at Citi Field, and of course, take a look at the players to wear number 28 in Mets history.

More specifically, we'll discuss Zack Wheeler's uneven walk year...Jason Vargas's resergence, Pete Alonso's All-Star and Rookie of the Year potential, and look at whether the Subway Series is still as exciting after all these years and with the novelty of interleague play having worn off.

PLUS MUCH MORE! So, join us LIVE at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen LIVE below, or at the direct link here.

Home Cookin'

We're exhilarated when they're playing well and we're disgusted when they are not. I have not been high on Mickey Callaway and I'm always skeptical this franchise can ever sustain success with the Wilpons at the owning helm. This team creates such a bipolar emotional swing, there is never a dull moment.

Anthony J. Causi
Photo via New York Post

Thing is, the 2019 New York Mets are bucking the trend and playing well at home. They're just not playing well, and that is an understatement, on the road. They are currently 7 games over at Citi Field with a 17-10 record but 9 games under on the road at 13-22. That right there is the difference in the season. The majority of the games we have complained about them blowing have been the bullpen's inability on the road to stave off their opposition's 0wn home cookin'. Just a 5 game swing and they would be a .500 road team. It all is obviously hypothetical, but that's how thin the difference is between them being a winning ballclub and 2 games under .500. I'm sure all us fans can list 5 games we know the Mets could have held onto in other's people's ballparks. Tighten that up, and we're not as fed up as we have been.

Now, with the Rockies on the way in, it is time to plow forward and make sure June is not even remotely close to the miserable 5-21 it was last year. I still believe this team is far better than the 2018 squad was but they have their work cut out for them this month with the majority of the clubs vying for a playoff spot, including the Yankees at the stadium on Monday and Tuesday. I'm sure all Mets fans are looking forward to THAT potential trolling. Buckle up, Buckaroos.

Before I go, thanks once more to Taryn "The Coop" Cooper for joining us on the 27th episode of A Metsian Podcast last night!

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 27 - Dreaming of a Brighter June, with The Coop

At 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast will be LIVE with our 27th episode! Taryn "The Coop" Cooper of "My Summer Family"joins us to talk about..who else? The New York Mets!

Well, with last night's win, the Mets are 1/5 of the way to matching their win total of 2018's June. Obviously, 6 wins this month will still be rather miserable, and it seems unlikely they will be as bad as they were, but Mickey Callaway and Co. have to figure out how to go through this month with a better formula for success than they have been putting together as of late. We'll discuss some strategies we think they need to take to do so, you know, other than the overall strategy of not blowing the leads they keep having.

Robinson Cano was rushed back from the IL and proceeded to re-aggravate his injured quad. Why do the Mets keep rushing these players back from injury? Have they seriously not learned by now?

That plus much, much more! Including a look at the players to wear number 27 in their history.

So, join us LIVE at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen below, or at the main page HERE.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 26 - Bre From That Mets Chick Joins the Podcast!

LIVE at 9pm ET, episode 26 is here, and we are thrilled to welcome Bre from the blog, "That Mets Chick!" You can follow her on twitter @thatmetschick.

Bre is a 24 years old from Long Island. She fell in love with the game of baseball because of her dad and brother. She played 4 years of college softball, playing center field and right field (and had a cannon of an arm.) Her all time favorite Mets players are David Wright & Carlos Beltran, while her current favorite Mets players are Michael Conforto & Jeff McNeil. She started following the Mets in 2003 when Jose Reyes made his debut and has been following them ever since!

We'll first tackle results of the Nationals series, and will have some choice words regarding Wilmer Font being a starter right now regardless of today's outcome. He represents a budget option on a team expected to contend, so what mixed signals are the front office and the Wilpons sending here?

We'll touch on some roster issues such as Todd Frazier and Keon Broxton, and whether, with his opt out coming in June and him killing the ball in AAA, Carlos Gomez should eventually be on this team.

That and much, much more! We'll also talk the ballplayers to wear 26 in Mets history as well as the 1926 NY National League legacy.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen LIVE down below, or at the direct link here.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 25 - John Strubel of Mets Rewind

A Metsian Podcast returns for our 25th episode! LIVE at 9pm ET, we welcome John Strubel of Mets Rewind to the podcast!

John Strubel publishes the team history website Mets Rewind, as well as its social media feed, @MetsRewind. He has spent 25+ years in broadcast media, freelance sports writing and minor league baseball.

The Mets are coming off of a horrendous 1-5 road trip that saw them fall to 17-20 on the year. Dominic Smith was sent down for backup shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, and while it's clear they needed a better spell for Amed Rosario at shortstop, was sending down their backup 1st baseman and key bench piece truly the best move? Jed Lowrie is also slated to come off the IL shortly, so who is the odd man out when that decision reaches a junction?

That plus much more! We'll, as always, delve into Mets history by exploring the players to wear number 25 for the Mets over the years.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen LIVE down below, or at the direct link here.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 24 - Mets Newsday Reporter Tim Healey

A Metsian Podcast with Sam, Rich and Mike comes at you LIVE at 9pm ET! We are thrilled on this episode to be welcoming Mets Newsday reporter Tim Healey to the program!

Photo via @timbhealey/twitter

Tim Healey is in his second season covering the Mets for Newsday, and before that he covered the Marlins for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. A Connecticut native and Boston University grad, Tim is a proud New Englander but has taken a liking to living in New York City.

The Reds series wraps up today at noon and we'll recap our thoughts on the up and down 4 game series for the Mets. Jacob deGrom pitched his lights out, seemingly back to form. The offense, however, reverted back to not supporting our ace. Will he ever get the support he deserves?

Our closer Edwin Diaz, albeit in a tie game each time, took his first 2 losses of the year. As much as logic dictates you want your best reliever out there in those situations, they continuously have a tendency to pitch less than stellar. Should managers continue to run their closers out there in tie games?

Meanwhile, our former closer turned 8th inning man Jeurys Familia blew the save on Edwin Diaz's offday and was subsequently placed on the IL with shoulder soreness. Has his issues this year all been injury based or just a case of not handling the transition to his new role?

That plus much, much more! We'll also naturally talk about the players to wear number 24 in Mets history, and briefly the NY NL legacy year of 1924.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast!

You can listen down below, or directly at the page here.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 23 - Home Cooking Bursts...Then Fizzles; Sam's Uncle Stan

A Metsian Podcast turns 23! LIVE at 9pm ET, we return to regroup on another day off after an optimistic series win against the Phillies. Along with Sam, Rich and Mike, Sam's Uncle Stan from Brooklyn joins to discuss his baseball history growing up in Brooklyn and what he thinks so far of the 2019 team.

Things were looking good for the first two games against the Phillies after a stumble some on the road, but after throwing behind their slugger, Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies soundly handled the Mets in the final game of the series. Do we think this year's rivalry with the team of brotherly love could get even uglier as the season goes on?

The Mets straight up passed on Gio Gonzalez. With Jason Vargas only giving them 4-5 innings, was this a smart move?

That and much more! Plus, we'll discuss the players to wear 23 in Mets history as well as the 1923 NY NL legacy seasons.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast! You can listen LIVE down below, or at this direct link.

LIVE at 9pm ET, A Metsian Podcast, Ep. 22 - The First 18 w Metsian Theme Composer Adam Spiegel

We’re back with the first regular A Metsian Podcast of the season, LIVE at 9pm ET! Today, we are thrilled to welcome the composer of our theme song, Mets fan Adam Spiegel!

On top of his passion for the Mets, Adam is also a musician, composer, music director & actor. He's the lead singer & keyboard player for the band Brain Salt & also sings and plays keys for the bands Hide & Seek & Comic Tales of Tragic Heartbreak. He has written music, lyrics & book material for the musicals Cloned!, Camp Rolling Hills & The Whole Megillah. You can find more info on his website.

Well, as usual, there have been ups, downs, & everything inbetween in the first 18 games of the season. Both the bullpen and the starting pitching have struggled so far. What are certain solutions Brodie Van Wagenen can take to immediately address the issues? Yes, signing both Dallas Keutchel & Craig Kimbrel can be thrown out there as answers. The offense was on fire to begin the season but has since cooled down. Both Robinson Cano and Brandon Nimmo have struggled so far. How concerned are we about either of them and can you keep running Nimmo out there in the leadoff as the strikeouts keep piling on?

This plus much more! And we’ll explore the Mets to wear 22 in their history as well as the 1922 NY National League campaign.

So, join us at 9pm ET for the latest edition of A Metsian Podcast! You can listen down below or go directly to the Blog Talk website.

LISTEN. IN. NOW.

LET'S. GO. METS.

$&#*@in' Familia, But What a Diaz

Monday nights these days are set aside for improv classes as I try to get out of my head a bit. A bit is a bit of an understatement. Improv is therapeutic that way as you have to be on your toes and ready to accept offers as they come from your fellow improvisors. There technically aren't any wrong things you can say; just say it, stop thinking. It is only wrong to throw off the rhythm and flow.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Photo via Metstradamus

I found myself turning off the radio feed of the game just before the Mets scored their first 2 runs of their eventual 7-6 win over the Phillies on Jackie Robinson Day. At points where my attention wasn't directly needed, whether it be myself improvising or giving the respect ones on stage deserve, I saw a prototypical Mets-Phillies battle ensuing as I was checking the score on the At Bat App. It was the type of game we have gotten plenty used to these teams partaking in against one another. Back and forth, up and down, never a moment where you felt any particular relief on either side of the respective fanbases.

And I don't want to get into the Noah Syndergaard factor right now. The Phillies' ace, Aaron Nola, was pitch-for-pitch basically not as sharp as well. The biggest issue right now is the bullpen for us, other than the Jason Vargas issue.

I got out of the improv class just in time to see a runner on and no outs with Jeurys Familia on the mound in the 8th. He both did a poor job of sticking to the script as well as keeping the rhythm and flow of the scene moving with a Mets 1 run lead at 6-5. After his sensational breakout season of 2015 where, from my memory, he was the most reliably consistent closer the Mets had ever had (up until his 2nd quick pitch in a row to Alex Gordon in game 1 of the World Series) he has resorted to typical Mets closer fashion, i.e., forcing you to self-manicure with your teeth as the clippers. Whatever is going on with him, he cannot seem for one second to find the plate with any pitch he administers, lolligagging the ball every which way. When he's over the strike zone, his pitches are way too hitable, and he provides no sign he will be getting any better any time soon. At 3 years and 30 million dollars, let alone the familiarity factor of why Brodie decided to offer him the sizable contract, Familia must figure out how to get out of his head before he is a non-factor on the field but a huge factor on what we know is a tight, specific, non-altering budget the Wilpons have come up with.

In the end, however, the Mets persevered. They came up with big hits in their first extra inning game of the year to pull a much-needed division win against the Phillies in their first match with Bryce Harper in a different logo's red. We were all wondering why Edwin Diaz wasn't in there instead of Robert Gsellman in the 8th inning after Familia walked the world. Apparently the answer is they are committed to only using Diaz for 3-out saves. While I'm not sure I agree with this, Gsellman settled down in the 9th inning after walking in the winning run and WOW did Diaz deliver when he got the opportunity in extras, striking out the heart of the Phillies order to close out the game. 

Also, if the Phillies fans weren't aware of Jeff McNeil before last night, they sure as heck are now, as he collected 3 hits, 1 RBI and made 2 spectacular defensive plays.

They were able to push past the lost momentum from the Atlanta weekend and get what we hope is back on track. Lock down the series tonight and render Wednesday's day game only playing for icing on the cake.

Stay focused, but out of your head. Transition, revelation, resolution. It's a long season, but sharpen the senses now and it will make the rest of the stretch that much easier.

And please, figure out how to throw more strikes!

GET. IT. OVER.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Former Mets Pitcher Skip Lockwood Joins A Metsian Podcast, LIVE at 9pmET!

Oh, hello. You may have thought I forgot about you. Well, I've struggled to communicate from time to time over the last 4 years, but it wasn't too long ago that I would regularly post the podcasts we like to do. First, the Rising Apple Report...but for the first time I am posting A Metsian Podcast with Sam,

Rich and Mike, which we started after leaving Rising Apple.

And what a show to entertain your ears with, ladies and gentlemen. Former Mets closer Skip Lockwood, who pitched for the Mets from 1975-1979, joins the crew to talk about his fantastic book, "Insight Pitch: My Life as a Major League Closer." We welcome him to the program and cannot wait to discuss growing up in Norwood, Massachusetts, how he got into baseball in the first place, and of course, the Mets of the late 70's (I kinda have a favorite of that...)

Please, join us LIVE at 9pm ET for a Skip Lockwood edition of A Metsian Podcast!

INSIGHT. PITCHING.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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.

It's Over

I believe we are beginning to see the end of the Terry Collins era.

I almost didn't even WANT to write about the Mets 'cause I contain so much vitriol.

This past weekend, I have never seen the level of understanding amongst the fanbase that Terry is not fit to be manager of this ballclub. I have been saying for a very long time that Terry Collins should not be manager of this ballclub. I don't believe he will ever be able to lead a team to the playoffs. So, whether or not there's other things going on when it comes to the Juan Lagares situation, or anything involving the Mets, things that the public doesn't really have to know about or have any right to know. You're starting to see, at least in the public eye, a man becoming more delusional with the managerial decisions and becoming more and more defensive about it. And you know what? You've got a GM I'm growing more and more agitated with for not doing anything about it, and SIGNING the guy back up in the first place (I guess you could go all the way back to hiring him in the first place, but I get what Terry is and Sandy seems to as well, considering a 2-year deal is NOT a ringing endorsement.)

My faith in Sandy's judgement is waning because of the Terry Collins situation. He has clearly begun a grand foundation reconstruction with the minor leagues, and for that, I'm willing to accept that is Sandy Alderson's lasting legacy with the New York Mets. But I need to begin seeing better judgement with the Major League ballclub.

Our blood was boiling Friday night, when us Metsian nerds, myself and the Brooklyn Trolley Blogger Mike Lecolant, took to the airwaves post-game and vented our frustration on the Rising Apple Report. The sound bytes are as relevant today as they were on Friday night, and we'll spew even more sound bytes later this evening on a whole new episode of the Rising Apple Report.


Thank God for the off day. I don't want to see any of those guys today.

I'll think about the Mets...but I don't have to LIKE it.

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

Searching for Carolyn After Another Mets Loss

I hadn't been planning to go to last night's Mets game. I actually made a "responsible" decision after earlier having deciding to go. I said, "At some point, I really can't afford all this, can I?" Then, a friend of mine whose company was selling tickets for groups of children to go asked if I wanted to buy 3 for $40. I told him I would only go for free right now, unfortunately. He said, "Fine then, for free," and we figured out when to meet.

Well, I really can never pass up free Mets tickets. If I were able to afford every game, I'd attempt to work around going to every game :D 

Oh, jeez. I've been texting too much...

Anyway, I went to the game ready to be an Upper Deck Roamer with my 525 section. Tip for those that buy an upper deck seat: Just go sit in sections 512-518 until the Mets are good again and people start crowding the place up. Right behind home plate, arguably, outside of it being really cool being really close, the best seats in the house. You can see the whole field, and they made the place so intimate that there's never "too far away" and you just watch baseball from the angle of the whole diamond. It's beautiful.

That doesn't mean that when my former boss asked if I wanted to meet and he gave me a ticket to get into the Delta Club and we went and sat in section 12 that I would turn down being field level.

It's just a different way of viewing things. Neither are necessarily better than the other, but it's loads of fun seeing the players actually look human-size for a change.

Well...speaking of the "players", the Josh Satin-for-Eric Campbell move makes loads of sense. Here's a dude who hasn't done a lick for us this year, regardless of whether he needs playing time, compared to a super-utility player in Eric Campbell that is CRUSHING it in the PCL. This was a slight digression, but I bring this up first because Josh Satin looked as horrendous from up close last night as his demotion states he did.

So, the Mets squandered opportunity after opportunity and they clearly deserved to lose. You just feel it in the air on night like last night. It was nice to tie it up...but I'm tired of saying that.

In extras, I started talking to a lady behind me named Carolyn (don't know if that's how we spell it...) but we seem to hit it off in conversation and were both equally as pissed off at the way the Mets go about things these days. And she was even more pissed off because her roommate, who was a Tigers fan and wished he wasn't still at this long and excruciating game had said to her "I hope the Phillies win." (Oh, yeah, forgot to mention...before it went extras, it took a freakin' 4 hours for 9 innings...for a 3-2 extra-inning loss)

Now, let me first say that I've NEVER done anything like this. I've never gone online looking to find someone who I met that I was unable to get contact information of, let alone write about it soliciting contact. She and her dude roommate (made clear...) kept going while myself and the group I was with were still in the Delta Club. I last saw her heading towards the subway, probably 200 feet ahead of us.  The subway can fit a lot of people on one train. Who knows where she may have gone to? But it didn't feel like exchanging information would have proven fruitless.

Again, I would normally be very reserved when it comes to doing stuff like this. But hey, you only live once, there's a side of me that a hopeless romantic (not to make anyone think I think this is going ANYWHERE...) but I felt like conducting a social experiment in the age of devices before fate could potentially have us run into each other again at a future Mets game. So, if you're Carolyn from Brooklyn who's a Mets fan who talked to a Sam and was in Section 12 with her dude roommate at the Mets 3-2 loss to the Phillies last night, or know Carolyn from Brooklyn who's a Mets fan who talked to a Sam and was in Section 12 with her dude roommate at the Mets 3-2 loss to the Phillies last night, I'm easy to get in touch with. My email should be somewhere off that way ------->


Anyway..

Firstly, I am doing a Brooklyn Ballpark Bike Ride Tour on my Bedford & Sullivan podcast at 5pm ET today with the Brooklyn Trolley Blogger and fellow Rising Apple writer Mike Lecolant. He'll be calling in as I go from the Ebbets Field flagpole at Barclays Center to Washington Park to Ebbets Field and some other parts of Brooklyn. It's an extended episode, and we'll go for 2 hours. Make sure to tune in.

And secondly, I filmed this video at the Mets 7-6 extra-inning loss on April 26, where my friend Adam Spiegel shares "False Facts" about random Mets fans. Take a watch.

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

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, 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.

New Sports Internet 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.

The "Cavalry" Marches Home...

It's been a weird week, hence the lack of posts, but I couldn't let an off day go without getting a podcast in. Mike Lecolant joined me, along with author Matt Silverman (New York Mets: The Complete Illustrated History and 100 Things Mets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die) and Rich Sparago in the latter half of the show. We talked about the recent road trip, Dillon Gee's workhorse nature, the 1969 New York Mets squad, Matt's books, Shea Stadium and its 50th Anniversary yesterday, Anthony Recker "cashing in for his backup catcher union card", Gene Mauch... and many many other Metsian items of interest.

Happy to have games back in Queens, and ones that celebrate at the Shea-tastic price of $3.50 (well...plus those online fees, but still, much much cheaper. That would be very SHEA of them to remove the fees, but I understand there's some annoying web code to be written to get what is usually there out of there. Yeah. 1964 it ain't.)

It's clearly redundant to say, but they HAVE to start winning at home if they are to take the next step. Why since 2011 they have sucked at home and done what winning teams do on the road, which is go .500 or one better, I have no idea. No idea why where they should feel more comfortable they have not and lost. But it has to change. Maybe celebrating some Mets history will bring some relaxation and get us some W's against the Braves, the Cardinals or the Marlins!

Enjoy the weekend, folks. MAKE IT OUT TO THE METS AT WILLETS POINT!!!

CITY. BASEBALL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Online Sports Radio 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.