Sorry I missed the past two weeks.
I know what a tough week it has been in our nation. And I promise I will get to discussing that as best I can. .
But I got to do something this past week I haven't done in a while, and I really need to do more often... I went to a baseball game with my dad.
Thursday 5:24 PM- Get on the LIRR in Oceanside on my way into Queens to see my Mets play those a-hole Washington Nationals. There are plenty of fellow blue and orange clad maniacs on the platform with me, which does my heart good to know I live in a community with such great taste.
6;01 PM- I get to Woodside, where I could transfer to another LIRR train and take that to Citi Field, but to me, there is nothing like seeing the stadium come into view from the 7 train. It was weird, going up on that platform where I've been thousands of times and seeing that the last stop in Manhattan is the West Side Rail Yards and not Times Square.
6:10-I get into a hot sticky non air conditioned 7 train car, at least its an express. Two stops, Junction Blvd and then... as we rise over the 111 Street Station, there she is. I do miss Shea Stadium, but I have to admit this is pretty nice. And it's still the coolest feeling to see Shea/Citi Field from the train. (I get the same feeling coming out of the tunnel on the 4 train approaching Yankee Stadium too-but not as much)
6:25-Get my ticket at the will call and enter the stadium. Because I bought a program and yearbook at the dugout shop, I have to get in the line for bag inspection, which violates one of Wild Bill's cardinal rules of sports attendance (Thou Shalt not Bring a Bag) When I get to the security guy who does the stop and frisk on the way into the stadium, the guys in front of me don't empty their pockets. They don't speak any English, and the security guy is getting aggravated. (As am I) With my bag and my hands full of wallet, cell phone and keys, the security guy says Hey Buddy, and gives me half a pat down. I'm in!
6:30- I figure I better pick something up for Timmy so I head into the team store. I am reminded of two things Karl (The Ace) Ludwig told me about Citi Field. 1) The stadium is nice, but the neighborhood is still a dump and 2) There are plenty of places where the Mets are determined to separate you from your money. There is nothing at the team store I can't get at Modell's for a lot less. Timmy can have my yearbook. Besides there's an ad for The Force Awakens in there that he'll probably enjoy more than any baseball pictures he might come across.
6:45- It is a brutally hot and sticky night in New York, I am just getting over a stomach virus, and oh BTW I am a cardiac event survivor (ya like that?) so maybe trying to get to my dad via 5 flights of stairs wasn't my most brilliant move. But I couldn't find the elevator and apparently there is an escalator but damned if I could find that either. Did I mention I miss Shea Stadium?
7:00- Found my dad and my seat! We are in the upper deck on a metal platform right between third base and home plate. The only thing I wouldn't be able to see is a catch in foul territory in the left field corner. Otherwise the sight lines are awesome.
Top 1- Big Sexy himself, Bartolo Colon is starting for the Mets, the one guy in the majors who is older and fatter than I am. So far, he's having a pretty good year.
But not tonight. Tonight he gives up a leadoff triple to Ben Revere. After getting Jayson Werth to ground out, up steps our hero from last year's playoffs. Daniel Murphy, who is showered with boos. He proceeds to rip and RBI single to right, scoring Revere. Fortunately, Big Bart gets the next hitter, Bryce Harper (also heavily booed) to ground into a double play.
Bottom 1-Jose Reyes leads off and is cheered wildly.
I'm very mixed about this for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is that the reason Reyes was made available at a cheap price was the fact that he was coming off a suspension for domestic abuse.
One of the reasons that I've gotten so turned off by the NFL as of late, is that it not only seems like there have been a rise in the cases of domestic abuse amongst NFL players, but also I find there to be such a cavalier attitude towards it. Roger Goodell and the rest of the football hierarchy isn't going to do anything about it, because, well, their only goal is to grow their product, and if the fans aren't bothered by guys smacking around their wives/girlfriends, why should we care?
And that attitude make me sick. At the very least, baseball is making an attempt to do something about it. Reyes, and Yankee relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman were suspended for the beginning of the season by MLB under a new domestic violence policy. Hey, at least its a start.
But for some people, this isn't good enough. For some, the likes of Reyes and Chapman should never be allowed to play again. I'm not sure this is the answer either. I don't want to come off as someone who takes this situation lightly, I surely don't. I'm just not sure what a suitable punishment really is. Again, I feel at least that baseball is trying to fix the problem, whereas football is doing the least it can.But since Reyes has been cleared, and the Mets have signed him, the question now becomes, can he help? Well, what I'm banking on, is that his subpar performances have come in part because he was playing in cities he wanted no part of. Think about it, when he signed with the Marlins, he figured he'd be the toast of South Beach...him and LeBron.
Less than a year later, he was traded to Toronto. Look, I've been to Toronto, it's a lovely city, but as far as baseball goes, it's may as well be Mars. It gets so quiet between pitches, you feel like you are at a tennis match.
From there, he was dealt to Colorado, one of the few places where it is possibly colder than it is in Toronto. His numbers dropped precipitously when we went west. Maybe coming back to NY, where he really didn't want to leave, will kick start his career.
But to start off, he flies out to center. Curtis Granderson walks, Yoenis Cespedes singles, Neil Walker grounds out, sending Curtis and Cespedes to 2nd and 3rd. James Loney strikes out to end the inning.
Bottom 3: Reyes leads off by popping up a bunt, one of my biggest peeves in baseball. Laying down a bunt should be something every major leaguer should be able to do in their sleep. The Grandy man walked, Cespedes grounded into a fielders choice, Walker singled and Loney made up for leaving two guys on in the first with an RBI single. We're on the board baby!
Top 4- The $h-t hits the fan.
Now my understanding is that Citi Field is a pitchers ballpark. Someone forgot to tell the Nats, first Harper hits one out, two batters later first baseman Clint Robinson goes yard, and right after him, third baseman Anthony Rendon homers. Three home runs in one inning. It's going to be a long night man.
Bottom 4-Or, maybe not...
With one out Met catcher Travis D'Arnaud hits a blast over the center field fence to get us within two. After Colon fouls out, Reyes blasts one out into the upper deck in right. We're within one! Grandy doubles and then is balked to third by Nats pitcher Lucas Gioloto. Then Cespedes doubles him home and just like that we are tied up. Giolito hits the showers, and in comes (are you kidding me) Oliver Perez. yes THAT Oliver Perez.
Top 5-Easy come easy go....
Two singles to lead off the 5th, including one from Perez (for the love of God) then a force out at 2nd. Up steps Daniel Murphy to a chorus of boos. Murph hits into what looks like an inning ending double play. But manager Dusty Baker challenges the call at first. At home during these stupid interruptions, I can go to the can, I can grab something from the fridge, or I can change the channel. Here I gotta sit and wait. What a pain in the a$$. And of course they overturn it, so Murph has his second RBI and the Nats have the lead. Two more singles and Washington is up two. Bye bye Bart.
Bottom 5- Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Nimmo lead off with singles. D'Arnaud strikes out but pinch hitting is Wilmer Flores. One of the drawbacks to signing Reyes is that it cuts into Wilmer's playing time. He's been hot lately, that combined with his status as Met folk hero, has the joint jumping. But not nearly as much as it is seconds later, when he jacks one out to give us the lead.
Again, isn't this supposed to be a pitchers park? I thought the bandbox was in the Bronx?
Bottom 6- Another home run! Solo shot by Cabrera. getting our money's worth tonight.
Top 7- Murphy leads off with a homer. So it's obvious that he will torture us for at least the next three seasons if not many many more. And I spend most of my waking hours convincing myself that had we resigned him, he wouldn't be hitting anywhere close to the .345-15-60 he is hitting right now.
Bottom 7- Reyes walks and proceeds to get picked off. He started to steal second then stopped. What an idiot. A couple more hits and the Mets add an insurance run, which I'm figuring they will definitely need.
Bottom 9-LA FAMILIA! Which in Spanish means-Way to make it interesting. So Jeurys starts off by walking Werth. Not good, being that up next is the man whose been killing us all season. Murph hits a bullet on the ground that looks like its heading to left center, but is scooped on a diving catch by Cabrera. Cabrera flips it to Walker who gets slid into by Werth. Walkers throw is offline to nail Murphy, but under the new Chase Utley rule, Murphy is called out. Another argument, another replay challenge, this time the call stays. Familia then proceeds to strike out Harper, sending the Citi Field into a frenzy and all of us home happy.
On the way out, the fans were chanting Jayson Werthless, and my father said "How much fun is it walking out after a win?" It really was.
We rode the 7 train back to Woodside, where he got on the Q53 to Rockaway and I waiting for my train back to Oceanside. With 40 minutes to wait, I did what I used to do every Thursday night my last couple years in college....headed to Donovan's.
I had an ice cold O'Doul's with Chris Santangelo and then headed off. The train ride home was uneventful, I got in my car at Oceanside train station and put on the radio to hear some more post game show. Unfortunately what I heard instead was horrible news coming out of Dallas.
NEWS ITEM: Massacre in Dallas:
A peaceful protest march in Dallas regarding two police involved shootings earlier in the week was just finishing up, when a sniper opened fire on the police who were monitoring the protest. 12 Dallas cops were injured, 5 of them fatally.
The shooter, Micah Johnson, told cops during the ensuing standoff that he was trying to "kill as many white people as possible especially white officers" in retaliation for the two shootings that took place earlier in the week.
The two shootings he was referring to ..one took place in Louisiana, the other in Minnesota. Both of the men killed were African American.
There was a time in my life when I would have automatically condemned the cops for over aggressive behavior. There was a time in my more recent life where I would have defended the cops unequivocally. As a know it all college kid, I had a lot to say about the Rodney King incident and other alleged cases of police brutality. As an adult, with several friends and family risking their lives to protect mine, I tend to give the police the benefit of the doubt.
On the surface these two cases appear to be cases of overzealous cops. The case in Minnesota seems especially harrowing. It seems as that man was simply retrieving his license and registration from his wallet. I wasn't there. I'm going by what was on the video like everyone else is.
The overwhelming majority of the men and women who serve and protect us are good people with brave hearts. I believe that to my core.
Are than dirty rotten cops out there? Racists? Sure, there are people like that in every profession. They have to be weeded out, especially in law enforcement. Both to protect innocent African Americans, but to protect the cops that are honest and clean.
But what that animal did in Dallas was pure evil. Domestic terrorism. Those cops didn't deserve that. Those protesters could have been caught in the crossfire. I'm glad that terrorist was taken out.
It's looking like it's going to be a long summer.
Hang in there folks. Have a great week.
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