Settle Down, Beavis

This afternoon's game, surprise surprise, was one I didn't watch. But as it was the 12:10pm "Summer Camp Special," which I believe has also been known in past seasons as "Senior Citizen's Day," or "The Businessman's Special," I was at least able to follow the early portion of the game on my lunch break...you know, on Gamecast at my desk. But as far as I could tell, the game turned on two pitches in the top of the first. With two outs and men on 1st and 3rd, Rafael Montero had 2 strikes on Joey Gallo, who is essentially a feast or famine hitter on the level of Rob Deer or Dave Kingman. But Montero balked to bring home a run. He then laid an absolute meatball in to Gallo who promptly hit it out for a Home Run. Just like that it was 3-0 and that was pretty much the game right there. The Mets managed a Wilmer Flores Home Run off of Martin Perez and lost 5-1.

The more interesting Mets news came later this evening when news broke of the Jay Bruce trade to Cleveland for an A-ball pitcher. I have no issue dealing Bruce and although the return is underwhelming, it's something, and that's all you can ask for given that there just wasn't a great deal of interest in him. Of course this has brought out all sorts of Idiot Mets Fans out of the woodwork screaming about "stoopid sandy and corny collins gotta go" and "here we go another seven years of losing." One particular nutjob went so far as to suggest that the reason Alderson didn't deal Bruce to the Yankees for a supposedly "Better package" is because the Mets are bitter that they're failing and the Yankees are having a good season. I wonder how many of these people actually pay attention to the moves Collins makes, or if they're even Mets fans because the way they behave I sometimes feel like they're trolls that were sent by the Yankees just to piss us off. You can blame Alderson at times for inactivity, but I've been watching him for seven seasons now and there has not been a single trade made that didn't come to serve some greater purpose. It's as though these people are yearning for the days of Omar Minaya, who would react to any minor adversity by babbling and making short-sighted, unnecessary trades. Bruce is going to be a Free Agent and probably wasn't going to be back anyway, I mean, sure, the Mets could use the offense but to what end? To help them finish in 3rd place instead of 4th? It's the old adage of "We're losing with you, we can lose without you," and so it seems to me there is no loss in this deal.

Then again, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by the Idiot Mets Fans. These are the same people that continue to crow for Wally Backman (who by the way still does not have a Major League managing position) and think the soul of the team left with Daniel Murphy, who was a great player for all those years. It's kind of like listening to the rhetoric of people who support the current Presidential administration. Sometimes I'm not sure what fans expect the team to do. This season is lost. We just have to try and make the best of what's left because I much prefer Baseball Summers to Winter and no Baseball.

A Different Thought

 

And so it was the Cubs that won the 2016 World Series. Just as everyone told you they would. The team that was foisted on society ended up winning the ultimate prize, beating the Cleveland Indians in a classic and harrowing 7th Game to take home the crown for the first time in 108 years.

And, quite honestly, it made me sick.

People seem to have this impression of the Cubs as these loveable losers, but there wasn't much I found loveable about them or their fans. Sure, the same could be said about the fans of most teams, but rooting for the 2016 Cubs seemed to be about as chic as rooting for that other New York team between 1996-2001. You didn't know why you were supposed to other than it seemed like the "cool thing to do."

So I was hoping that some team would be able to step up and stop the Cubs freight train, but nobody did. The Indians pushed them to the limit, going ahead 3 games to 1 and on Sunday night it certainly looked like they were primed to seal the deal, and I was certainly enjoying that, but their luck ran out. The Cubs got it together, rose up and outwilled the Indians in one of those games where neither team wanted to fade quietly into the night.

But for most of the night, this game was headed the way of most of the rest of the series, which wasn't great on a game-to-game basis. Friday's Game 3 was close and so was Sunday's Game 5. Otherwise, none of the games were particularly dramatic. Neither was Game 7, at least not early. Corey Kluber, who'd been heroic in two starts prior, ran out of gas and got hit hard. At 5-1, it seemed like the Cubs were going to coast home. But Aroldis Chapman, himself overworked, also looked spent and out of nowhere, the Indians managed to fight back, tie the game at 6-6 on a Rajai Davis Home Run, and send the game into Twilight Zone Territory. Rain fell, a tarp was pulled on as the game moved to Extra Innings, and then the whole thing turned into a Buzzfeed article. The 2016 World Series is going to be remembered by everyone as this great, classic series, with the underdog Cubs storming back to win it all. You know, basically ignoring the fact that the Cubs were such enormous favorites going back to Opening Day, and the fact that everyone essentially basically spent the entire season patting them on the back and congratulating them over a World Series Championship that they hadn't won. They'd kind of done this last year too, until the Mets punched them in the mouth and put them in their place.

But, this year, they sealed the deal. And if you want to call me bitter, go right ahead, because, you know what, I am. I believed that the Mets, if they'd been given another shot at the Cubs, would absolutely have taken them out. They stoned them last year, and when they played each other during the regular season, a partially-neutered version of the Mets still took them out. Another Armageddon could have gone one way or another, but as I said about a month ago, I wanted to see the Mets have that chance. But it didn't happen. Instead, we had to sit on our hands and watch as the Cubs managed to finish their deal behind one of the major players that prevented the Mets from reaching the goal last year, and if you weren't sick of Ben Zobrist already, well...

And, you know, seeing the Cubs celebrating, and seeing their fans peeing themselves, and seeing hipster idiots running around New York City today wearing Cubs hats kind of got me thinking. Maybe we've been going about this all wrong. Mets fans have by and large been conditioned to approach the season with the old Crash Davis term of Fear and Arrogance. More Fear than Arrogance, to be sure, but a little arrogance. This hasn't worked, since the Mets are now 30 years removed from their last World Series Championship. But the Cubs, who hadn't won a thing since Teddy Roosevelt was President, spent the entire year with their chests puffed out, celebrating the title they believed they'd already won, and though it was enough to make you laugh at them then, you can't do that anymore because they went and did it.

So, yeah, I think we need to start having a different attitude here. If the Fans believe it, let's make the team believe it to. Perhaps all Mets fans need to start acting like we've already won something. Let's be the arrogant pricks walking around, thumbing our noses at every other team. Let's take over opposing team's ballparks and shit-talk their fans. This isn't so crazy. As it's composed now, the Mets are going to have 5 Starting Pitchers that can pistolwhip an opponent at any given time. Noah Syndergaard's just getting warmed up, Matt Harvey's got his head back on straight, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz are healthy again, Zack Wheeler's gonna be back and that's not even getting to guys like Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo and, of course, Bartolo Colon. Who's going to stop these Mets? The Mets have already proven what they can do when everything clicks, so I think we should just proclaim it now. It's gonna click in 2017. Sing it loud and proud. #MetsIn2017.

Unkind Houseguests

It seems inevitable, when going to games at Citi Field, and probably at any Major League ballpark, that people show up to the game that are fans of the opposing team. That's just part of Baseball, I suppose, but perhaps it's magnified here in New York, where there are so many tourists and transplants that don't root for the Mets, or the other New York team. Plenty of Mets fans can be found at other team's stadiums as well, when the Mets go on the road. In a perfect world, you'd think that fans of the opposing team would come to a game, be respectful, root for their team and everyone would have a good time. I'd also like to think that Mets fans are, for the most part, gracious hosts, although I know that's not always the case. That being said, Mets fans seem to generally be well-behaved; perhaps this was most evident the night that they found themselves on the wrong side of History. Mets fans were lauded for their support of youngster Chris Heston as he finished out the game, and though I admittedly sat and stewed in muted agony, I certainly didn't root against Heston, or at least not openly. 

But, then again, this isn't a perfect world and there's always a few select jackasses that can get out of line (I am excluding from this group, the people I like to refer to as "Confused Fans," people that come to the game wearing garb for a team that's not even playing in said game). When it happens at Citi Field, I personally am not so salty as to actually take this matter into my own hands, but it leaves a particularly bad impression of a fan base. I am of the mind that if a fan base is particularly detestable, the team probably is as well, and so what ends up happening is there's a group of teams that I dislike for no other reason than I don't like their fans.

This has come up enough this season to get me thinking about which teams have, by my estimation, the least likable fans, particularly after a couple of specific incidents that drew my ire. For me to not like a fan base, they generally have to behave a certain way:

1) Self-aggrandizing.
2) Think they're the reason for their team's success.
3) Act as though their team has already won something before the season's over.
4) Trash the Mets.

So, then, here's how opposing teams' fans break out when it comes to invading Citi Field:

Atlanta Braves: A rare case of where the team's success against the Mets has caused my dislike moreso than the behavior of their fans. Their fans used to be kind of annoying, but that was mostly when Larry was playing. My interactions with them have been fine. Oddly, their years of being on TBS and having their games broadcast so widely once led me to be seated next to a group of Braves fans from Sweden.

Miami Marlins: Only have 4 fans, so be sure to take a picture as proof if you come across one. I saw one of them at a Mets/Marlins game earlier this season but foolishly I didn't get my phone out when I saw him. Spotting one is like playing "Where's Waldo?"

Philadelphia Phillies: Were among the worst when the team was going well, invaded Shea Stadium and then Citi Field, talked all sorts of trash, started fights, stomped on rally towels and generally ruined every Mets fans' impression of them. However, now that the Phillies have returned to mediocrity their fans have now crawled back into their caves. So you can add fair-weather to the list of adjectives describing them.

Washington Nationals: Limited presence at Mets games, partially because I think the people of Washington are still trying to figure out who the Nationals are. For a city in such close proximity to New York, Nationals fans don't seem very inclined to make the trip north, even considering the success they have had in Citi Field. More a reflection of their relevance within their own community than their mass appeal.

Honorable Mention: Since we're on the topic of the Nationals, I should mention that I was at the last game in Montreal Expos history in 2004, and in retrospect it was really heartbreaking to see that a large contingent of Montreal fans had come to New York to see their team one last time, and after the final out had all crowded around the team's dugout to give them one final Au Revoir. A passionate group that just got screwed over continually and deserved better.

Chicago Cubs: Perfect example of a truly obnoxious, unlikeable fan base. I've made many mentions about some particular encounters I've had with Cubs fans that serve to underscore my point. Cubs fans just have no clue. They're so used to mediocrity that in the demented minds of their fans, simply being a .500 team equates to a major victory and they will act as such. Their fans will actually come up and talk trash to you unprovoked. They come out to Citi Field en masse and walk around with their chests puffed out like they own the place and they've deified their players so much that when Kris Bryant came to bat, I'm pretty sure half the Cubs fans in attendance had an orgasm. But, of course, the joke's on them, because they still haven't won a thing in over a century, and everyone knows this, so instead their bravado ends up being more comical than anything else when they inevitably lose.

Cincinnati Reds: Reds fans tend to travel in families, so they don't get out of line all that often. I did have one instance a few years ago in a game where Todd Frazier was bombing Home Runs all over the place and a pair of mustachioed hipsters were bouncing from section to section rooting for the Reds a little too loudly for my liking, but they also probably had too much to drink.

Milwaukee Brewers: Because the Brewers are an obscure, small-market team, they don't have much of a contingent here. I can't recall seeing many, or any of their fans here. Anyone else?

Pittsburgh Pirates: Not a heavily-represented fan base when the Pirates come to town, but a good group that seems to be pretty well-aware of their History and Heritage. But now that they're finding some success after being so bad for so long, I'm curious to see how they change.

St. Louis Cardinals: Absolutely everything you could possibly dislike about a fan base is embodied in Cardinals fans. They travel in large groups, they've clearly let the whole "Best Fans in Baseball" assertion go to their head, the extended run of success the team has had has totally gone to their heads, they think they're God's Gift to Baseball, they walk around sniffing each other's underwear, they carry Selfie Sticks, they only drink Budweiser, they say things like "You need to get a hit NOW, Matt Carpenter! " and it feels like a majority of them have just crawled out of the woodwork since they started winning every year.

Arizona Diamondbacks: I was all set to talk about how I've never seen one, and then I went to a Mets/Diamondbacks game last Friday and there were a whole host of people in Diamondbacks jerseys, etc, so maybe they've finally built themselves up enough that they're starting to show themselves. They keep quiet, mostly, I guess because they're still learning how to Baseball.

Colorado Rockies: Another group of fans that you don't see many of when the Colorados come to town. I'm not entirely sure if it's because they're a Western team or because they're still relatively new in Baseball terms and just haven't built up that kind of a fan base.

Los Angeles Dodgers: An interesting case because there's still some small faction of Brooklyn Dodgers fans that never gave up the ship, as evidenced by the fact that when the Dodgers and Mets squared off in the NLDS in 2006, I saw a group of nuns in Dodgers hats walking around Shea Stadium. Dodgers fans have a reputation of being too cool for the room, particularly when it comes to their own home games, and when they go on the road, yes, they do have fans that show up at Citi Field but they're sort of a nonentity when it comes to making their presence known.

San Diego Padres: I've been to my share of Mets/Padres games but for the life of me I can't recall ever seeing a Padres fan. I know they have fans. Perhaps they just like the weather in San Diego too much to go anywhere else.

San Francisco Giants: You'd think, given that the Giants have won 3 World Series Championships in the last 5 years, and they have a New York fan base that purchases entire sections of tickets to games whenever they come to town, and they've often outnumbered Mets fans on specific occasions that they might be totally overbearing, but oddly every interaction I've had with Giants fans has been nothing but pleasant. They root for their team, but they don't talk trash, they don't go over the top, they celebrate only when appropriate and they only seem interested in having a good time. So I have to give them credit for good sportsmanship.

And then there's the American League teams, whom we don't see much of at Citi Field, so I don't have much to go on. I can say that the Mets/Blue Jays game I attended earlier this season did feature many Toronto fans, but they mostly were very well-mannered and polite, I assume because they were Canadian. I've also seen games against Baltimore, Chicago, Anaheim, Detroit, Tampa and Boston and can't say I've noticed anything noteworthy, although the Boston games came in 1997, 1999 and 2001, back when they were totally defeated and beaten down by life and hadn't yet experienced the trappings of victory. Then, there's the Yankees, and I've made no bones about purposefully not going to any more Mets/Yankees games, simply because I can't take the Yankees fans. The choreographed line dances and Home Run chants are bad enough, but at least they aren't allowed to perform their pre game Chicken Sacrifice at Citi Field. Or at least I think they're not allowed to. We try to preach civility and not barbarism.

So, there you have it. Next up for me are the Dodgers, followed by the Padres, and other games to come against the Colorados and Philly, and even a rare appearance by the Boston Red Sox so we'll see if any of these impressions change. If anyone has any other experiences they'd like to share, please chime in.

Owner Of The Moment

The Mets played a game earlier today of lesser note and less fortunate outcome than the one they played on Friday night, and since I barely saw any of Saturday's game and was in attendance at Citi Field on Friday, that makes for a much more interesting blog, even if it's a day late. In a pitching matchup that earned all the hype of a prize fight or a line of video games, Matt Harvey outdueled Stephen Strasburg and the Mets emerged with a resounding 7-1 victory.

It's safe to say at this point that if you're a Mets fan who isn't excited about what Matt Harvey has done so far this season, you either need to check your pulse or root for another team because it's clear that he's not only arrived, he's arrived with authority. Harvey's 4th start of this season basically mirrored his first three, and against a powerful Nationals lineup, that's a pretty clear sign that on most nights, this is how it's going to be. Harvey will come out, hit his spots, strike guys out, maybe struggle through an inning or two but eventually work out of it, and leave with the Mets in position to win. Or he'll start to economize more and begin finishing off games. It's not simply a hot streak, it's the norm. And everyone is starting to take notice.

By no means was Citi Field full on Friday Night; the attendance of 26,675 certainly felt accurate as far as the ratio of fans to empty seats. But the demeanor of the crowd felt different. Somehow, the 26,675 generated the energy of 55,777 at Shea Stadium in the midst of a pennant race or a Playoff game, and it's been a long time since I've felt that kind of a vibe from the crowd at a Mets game.

Usually, most attendees at Mets games who aren't me and don't sit there obsessively keeping score or running through whatever obsessive/compulsive machinations that we go through in the course of a game are up and milling around, or standing on line at Shake Shack or whatever concession stand of their choice rather than paying attention to the game. This wasn't the case on Friday. For the majority of the game, fans seemed glued to their seats, eyes on the field. This was can't miss Baseball, a rarity for an April 19th game.

Case in point: Security at the stadium was heightened, which was to be expected after the events in Boston earlier in the week, and it took me much longer to get inside. So long, in fact, that I had to forego my usual pregame meal. I figured, at some point, I'd be able to steal away long enough to grab a bite on the promenade. But, when I did try to get something to eat, I found the lines far too slow-moving (I was later to find out that the concessionaire purposely short-staffed the Promenade on Vendors because it was an April game, not anticipating a larger-than-normal crowd). There wasn't an especially large amount of people waiting on concession lines, but when there's one cashier working it can create a backup. And when the inning break ends and Matt Harvey gives up a hit to the leadoff batter, I don't feel like standing around watching on a screen, I want to be back in my seat. So, I ended up not eating anything, which might not have been the brightest idea in the world, although it certainly saved money.

Who could blame anyone from not wanting to go anywhere during the game? For a good chunk of the night, it appeared that the anticipated pitcher's duel had unfolded as expected. Strasburg gave up 2 in the 1st, but both were unearned; the result of an error, a Wild Pitch and a 2-out single, and after that, he'd settled in, but he wasn't matching Harvey. Not on this night. Harvey appeared too determined to let this moment get the better of him. Strasburg wasn't off his game, but the Mets sort of nickel-and-dimed him to death, working deep counts and making him throw more pitches than he probably would have liked. Harvey stepped on the Nationals' throats all night; though he's had sharper games—his 3 Walks a season-high—he worked out of every jam the Nationals threw at him, culminating with a Houdini act of the highest order to escape a Bases Loaded, 0 out situation in the 7th inning. By that point, Strasburg had already melted down and allowed a pair of truly monstrous Home Runs to Ike Davis and Lucas Duda, and the fans, whipped into a veritable frenzy by these longballs, began catcalling him with chants of "OVERRATED!!!" and "HARVEY'S BETTER!!!"

For this night, at least, the fans were right. Harvey was simply better. He was better than Strasburg last night, and so far, he's been better than just about everyone else in the league.

First Class Person

About a year ago, I wrote about Greg Prince of Faith and Fear's book, something I considered to be a very solid definition of what it is to be a Mets fan. There is a certain amount of passion, pride and complete and utter insanity in following the Mets year after year, even as they look middling or embarrassing, because you know that for every 1993 or 2009, there's a 1999 or 2006 waiting somewhere in the wings.

As Mets fans, we come from all different cloths and walks of life, and sometimes we find ourselves thrown together rather randomly, and it's in such a way that I found a man named David Nolan.

For those of you who aren't familiar with my non-Baseball life, I work at Theater for the New City in Manhattan. Baseball, especially Mets Baseball doesn't run especially deep there, except within the confines of my office. Even then, you wouldn't know much about my being a Mets fan except that I had a printout of a snow-covered Shea Stadium that was e-mailed to me as a Christmas card by the Mets some years ago. It was, for the random Mets fan who would come through my office, a good conversation piece.

I knew David Nolan first as a veritable encyclopedia of Sound. Whether it was his work at any number of NYC Radio stations, or concert venues, or his mind-boggling collection of sound clips and live recordings, the man knew everything there was to know about sound recording, engineering and archiving. He helped me out innumerable times on a variety of projects, from pulling sound clips from the internet or sneaking me into WNYC's studios to record voiceovers amidst the mess of Danny Stiles' records. He helped me out so many times, I almost felt I was imposing on him. I mentioned this to him once, and he told me, "This is my hobby." For David, this was the sort of thing he loved doing most.

David and I were always friendly, mainly because David was a friendly person by nature. But it was over the Mets where David and I truly became friends. I don't remember exactly when or how I found out that he was a Mets fan. I only recall one evening at the 11th Street Bar when El Guapo and I were watching the Mets. David lived on the block, and I happened to see him passing by on his way home. The game was on, and he decided to stop in and have a drink with us and catch a bit of the game. It was right around the time of that year's Subway Series, and I mentioned that I was going. He said he hated me. Over the course of time, this scene would repeat itself. We would be in the bar, watching the game, and David would happen to pass by. Usually he would walk by, look in, see me, and then keep going. Then he'd double back and come in, usually for a quick drink, and then head home. Depending on the weather, he'd have his very sharp, 1999-style Mets jacket on. One particular instance, Game 2 of the Dodgers series in '06, he stayed for the remainder of the game. In parting, he would always give me the peace sign, which I always took as his trademark.

When The Ballclub started in '07, I kept it mostly hidden from my day-to-day life. I figured that it was a different world, the Theater and the Mets. I started to plug it here and there once an audience developed. I was surprised to find that among the readers was David Nolan, and more than that, he was an ardent fan. He often told me that he found what he read here to be better than what he could read in most newspapers, and that I'd certainly be able to find a career in journalism if I wanted to. David had a reputation as a harsh critic, so his praise was never lost on me. It's always nice to know that your work is appreciated by peers you have a great deal of respect for.

David also looked out for me as a person. In addition to all the times he helped me with shows, he also looked out for me on the job front. For a period of time, I was looking for a new job. David, who worked for the 92nd Street Y, was constantly on the lookout for a position that I could fill.

The last time I saw David was at TNC's annual Benefit. It was a formal event, far more formal than David or I are used to attending. Both in formalwear, we cracked a few prom jokes before the conversation turned to the Mets. He mentioned that he hadn't renewed his plan; out of the 15 games he had, he only made it to about 6 or so. I told him that I had renewed mine, and we should get to a game together this season. He told me that he definitely wanted to watch a game with me. Sadly, David passed away last Thursday, unexpectedly. A husband and father, David's wife, Joy, came to TNC the following day and told me I need to continue to write this blog. With his passing, not only did the TNC community lose a great person and a great friend, but the Mets also lost a great fan. It's unfortunate that I won't get to have the chance to catch that game with him. But I know that wherever he is, he'll be watching. And his wife will be following the Mets and this blog in his stead.

Rest in Peace, Dave. I'll toast you with my Opening Day beer in April.