Weekly Mail 2019 Year in Review Part Two

JULY


July 6- She obviously hasn't met the Wilpons, Johnsons and James Dolan.


According to the Ottawa Citizen, the Minister of Ontario for Tourism, Culture and Sport Lisa MacLeod accosted the owner of the NHL's Ottawa Senators at a Rolling Stones concert and said " I am your minister and you're a f-ck-ng peice of $h-t and you're a f-ck-ng loser."

She was forced to apologize. I say if the shoe fits.... And I don't know if we have a minster of sport here in NY, but I'm all for some government official letting the owners of the Mets, Jets, Rangers and Knicks how much they suck too. 



July 8- Pete Alonso May want to hire a new pitcher for the semifinals

Pete Alonso won the 2019 Home Run Derby, despite the fact that his hand chosen pitcher, his cousin, was missing the plate, then at one point almost hit him. (I'd kill him at Thanksgiving-Keri DeAngelo)
He should have had Edwin Diaz pitch to him. (More on that later)




July 13- The Blackout.

At the Post that Saturday night, there was a flash and for a split second the lights and computers were out. We wondered if there was an issue in the building till someone noticed the sign outside Radio City Music Hall was out. 42 years to the day that most of the East Coast went dark, most of Manhattan was out. I went out and did some investigative reporting, and posted some good blackout tunes on FB. Miami 2017, NY Mining Disaster 1941 and finally when the lights came back on New York New York


July 29-Mets win! Despite their best efforts SMH!

I could look this game up on Baseball Reference.com and tell you what happened. But I won't. From what I gathered from my pal Colin, the Mets had a 5-0 lead and gave it all back only to pull it out at the end. 




AUGUST


August 9- LFGM or if you prefer LGFM- Joe Norris..

For the first time since their 2016 run to the play in game, the Mets were in a game this late in the season that meant something. I had almost forgotten how much fun these could be. Down 6-3 in the bottom of the 9th, Todd Fraiser tied it up with a 3 run homer, and Michael Conforto won it with a long single. Thus the ritual of tearing the jersey off the guy who got the GWRBI was born. 


August 10- BAM! That's two against the Nats with our ace going tomorrow!
LFGM

This was also awesome. Alas, we didn't get the sweep, poor fielding dooming Jacob deGrom the next day. Still, the Mets were in the hunt. 


August 16-I swear if JD Davis hurt himself running out that infield hit, I’m writing an angry letter to Mushnick telling him to lay off players not running balls out.

He ended up being OK. But this was not the last time I'd have a beef with my fellow Postie. 


August 21-As usual my lil sis is right on the money. The rain before the game was Becky saying she wished she was there. The rainbow was letting us know she was.

We usually go to a Met game over the summer, Dad, Katie, Steve, Becky, Timmy and myself. This was the first game we went to together since Becky left us. It poured on the way in, then cleared up. Then the Mets won another walkoff win! As Katie pointed out, it was Michael Conforto number 30 (the jersey Rachel was wearing) scoring in the 10th inning. 




SEPTEMBER

September 3- Jacob deGrom is a saint. How he can put up with this team is beyond me. I’d be begging for a trade. This was the worst.

Mathematically, they were still alive for a couple of weeks. As far as I'm concerned, they were toast on this night. This was the infamous 7 run ninth inning by the Nats that beat the Mets in DC. 



September 15, 2019- Ric Ocasek and Eddie Money within a few days. Sad week for 80’s music fans.

Wouldn't call myself a huge fan of either one of them, but still felt awful hearing they had died. 


September 20- I wonder what gave him THAT idea?

The Dope from Park Slope ended a Presidential run he never should have started by saying "IT wasn't my time."  #yadontsay? 



September 28-There goes da Judge!

As much as the Mets bullpen drove me batspit last season, Pete Alonso made me proud of my team. he set the major league record for most home runs by a rookie. 



OCTOBER

October 3- Look I’m not sorry or surprised to see him go, but why let him twist in the wind for 4 days? The Wilpon’s are as classless as they come.

I had it pointed out to me by a couple of people that the Wilpons didn't fire Mickey Callaway right away because of the Jewish holiday. While I could respect that, I still feel 1) it could have been handled better and 2) the Wilpon's are still lying creeps. 


October 14- But Chicago’s got great deep dish pizza and San Diego has really nice weather.....

I was trying to talk Carlos Beltran into managing the Cubs or Padres. Didn't work.


October 19- Welcome to my world Yankee fans!

Aroldis Chapman, making like Edwin Diaz after the Yankees tied it up in the top of the 9th. Sending Houston to the World Series, where they lost to the Nationals. 

October 24- Great (SMH)

Phillies hire Joe Girardi. The only thing that would make this worse is if the Mets hire Carlos Beltran..



NOVEMBER

November 1- I will always be a Met fan. Some days are harder than others. This is one of those days. 

Guess who the Mets hired to be their manager???


November 10 Jets win the Toilet Bowl!!!

The battle for bragging rights went to Gang Green, but are they really bragging rights if both teams are Gawd Awful? (more on this later)


November 16-I know I've said it before, but there are few things more moving in sports, then watching Navy and Notre Dame's football teams come over to the stands and listen to each other's fight songs.

For all the complaining I do in regards to sports, this is something worth mentioning. There is so much wrong with sports. This is something they always get right. 

November 30- Bye Bye Bama!

Now if we can only send the Patriots packing....


DECEMBER 

December 1- Disgraceful. Not surprising, but still disgraceful

The Jets, with this loss to the previously winless Bengals, became the first team in NFL History to hand two teams who were 0-7 or worse, their first win of the season. Hey, who said the Jets season was a total loss? They made history!


December 11 Cole to Yanks looks like a done deal

On December 11, 1975, 44 years to the day earlier, the Yankees traded Bobby Bonds to the Angels for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa. The same day they traded Doc Medich to the Pirates for Willie Randolph, Ken Brett and Doc Ellis. They played in the next 3 World Series. (For a Met fan, I know a lot about the Yankees #fairandbalanced) Will this signing bring the same success? For $325 Million, they better hope so!

December 18- President Trump has been impeached.

Only the third President to be impeached after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. This was after nearly 10 hours of debate. The trial in the Senate should be a real $h-tshow. 


December 27- RIP Don Imus

More on this in the following Weekly Mail.


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And so we made it to 2020. The past two years, this space has been used to remember the two worst days of said years, indeed two of the worst days of my life. Last year I said my one wish for 2019 was that I wasn't writing about another family member who we lost. And thankfully as I celebrated Christmas and New Years, I was safe in the knowledge both of my families were here to celebrate. 

That said, you never really go through a year without having to say goodbye to someone you care about and 2019 was no exception. One of the songs I hear a lot at my office is Memories by Maroon 5. It contains the lines 

Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way...

I can't hear that song and not think of Tara's dad or of our niece. 

So I raise a toast to all of you, my family my friends. I hope that 2020 brings you happiness, healing and peace. And that the memories of those you love make you smile more than they make you sad. 

And thank you for everything.


Weekly Mail Returns tomorrow.