Apologies in advance if a technical matter temporarily disappears this post. We're still in the process of switching blog platforms, and I was going to wait on any further posting 'til it's done, but I wanted to continue to get the word out about the following project ... plus snow is falling on Long Island like pop flies on Luis Castillo's head, and I need to stop staring out the window ... Back when Bob Costas was an up and coming broadcaster whose every other utterance was cheekily charming
The Mets used to regularly play Memorial Day doubleheaders, Independence Day doubleheaders and Labor Day doubleheaders, yet the holiday that launched them into the public consciousness was the one we celebrate tomorrow ... That's right: the Mets are as much a part of Thanksgiving as stuffing, pumpkin pie and forced conversation you could do without ... Two months before they started limbering up in St. Petersburg and nearly four months before they began losing in earnest, the New York Mets made
Welcome to a special Tuesday edition of Flashback Friday: I Saw The Decade End , a milestone-anniversary salute to the New York Mets of 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999. Each week, we immerse ourselves in or at least touch upon something that transpired within the Metsian realm 40, 30, 20 or 10 years ago. Amazin' or not, here it comes ... For life's a mystery ... I shall remember ... For thirty days ... Thirty days ... —The Rainmakers ... It was in 2004, I think, that I was doing a little research
Pedro Martinez mowed down his opponent. Then the Dodgers picked apart Chase Utley and the Phillies' bullpen. There was the added bonus of learning Kobe Bryant grew up a Mets fan and seeing that somewhere in this world it's still summer. Game Two of the NLCS unfolded beautifully for my purposes, save for the gnawing realization that had Pedro been available to this then-employers three Octobers ago, I'd be less bitter every time I watch a playoff game. The thought process usually goes like this:
Welcome to Flashback Friday: I Saw The Decade End , a milestone-anniversary salute to the New York Mets of 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999. Each week, we immerse ourselves in or at least touch upon something that transpired within the Metsian realm 40, 30, 20 or 10 years ago. Amazin' or not, here it comes ... The 1969 baseball championship, won — not stolen — by the New York Mets, stands unquestioned as the greatest sporting achievement of the year. Yes, some will say "of the century" ...
he's so dumb, how come he's president?" ... —Gerald Ford's campaign slogan, as reported by Chevy Chase on Weekend Update, 1975 ... Those who cut the Mets miles and miles of slack for sucking as badly as they do point to the injuries. How could have we expected them to contend without their key players? I'll buy that. I'll buy that substituting for All-Stars and even regulars wasn't going to be easy. I'll buy that if you told me ahead of time that we'd endure most of 2009 missing mass
In Mets-Phillies lore, you win the Damn Thing when you go to Philadelphia, you build a huge lead, you hold on for dear life and you come away thanking your lucky 10-9 stars that you didn't blow the Damn Thing. It was the formula for broacast immortality on July 25, 1990 and it echoed clear through to July 7, 2008 ... Mets 10 ... Phillies 9 ... It remains the official score of sweet relief, no matter what route the Mets take to arrive there ... This Saturday afternoon in South Philly, it wasn't
There's a lot of talk going around about all-time franchise records for hits. I assume this has something to do with the eternal appreciation fans and media have for true legends of the game. Given that the subject is in the air, I thought it would be fun (my kind of fun, at any rate) to explore how the vaunted Met record for most hits in a career came to be ... The first Met to hold the all-time franchise record for hits was Gus Bell. He produced the first Met hit ever, a one-out single to
Two weeks ago, Jerry Koosman was cheered in Queens as a member of the 1969 "Miracle Mets." Thursday, he went to prison. Koosman failed to file federal tax returns between 2002 and 2004 ...
Welcome to Flashback Friday: I Saw The Decade End , a milestone-anniversary salute to the New York Mets of 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999. Each week, we immerse ourselves in or at least touch upon something that transpired within the Metsian realm 40, 30, 20 or 10 years ago. Amazin' or not, here it comes ... They checked Nolan Ryan's schedule. They didn't check mine ... Go figure ... Normally, I'd applaud the Mets' diligence regarding Ryan and not giving him any excuses to avoid the Mets the way