The Mets ended their 32-year winless drought in Oakland, to say nothing of a more pedestrian three-game losing streak, Thursday afternoon. I dared to confirm it on television, even. But why take my word for it when we had a special correspondent on hand to bear witness?
My oldest friend in the world (oldest in the Kranepool and not the Stengel sense) Joel Lugo is an expatriate New Yorker and world-class song parodist now based in Northern California. He, his brother Anthony and his nephew Joshua decided it would be great fun to meet the Mets in unfamiliar surroundings. He filed this report Thursday evening so I don't have to.
Just got home from the 24-hour traffic jam that is the whole of the San Francisco Bay area.
It was a glorious day at Anti-virus Stadium…glorious that is if your idea of a perfect day is spent getting cold and wet in Shame Stadium West watching the Mets continue the slow eating out of my kishkas. At least until the fellers finally decided it was time to score a week's worth of runs in one inning and change my dreary, wet afternoon into a happy, wet afternoon.
I can report that Mets fans comprised approximately 20% of the fans in attendance, wearing Mets apparel from the '70s, '80s, '90s and present.
In baseball action, it really made me homesick for Shea when the many Mets fans in attendance joined me in loudly cursing the awful performance of the aptly named Mr. Graves. He was getting hit so hard I thought he was pitching underhanded for a while. Dear God. Sure glad we included an option year in his contract.
My Met compatriots' faith in Mr. Looper was also not off the charts, as he once again got the outs he needed while looking like it could easily have gone the other way. All in all, a nice comeback win and hopefully an awakening of their long slumbering bats.
I'm gonna get under the blankets now and thaw out.
Yup, this is why I wasn't looking forward to one of my favorite players putting on a Mets uniform… and this was on the road! So how did you enjoy that slide by Jason Kendall? Did it look any less sleazy and unsportsmanlike in person?
That weather must have made you homesick for Shea, too… that's usually what we have here until at least mid-June. And I really don't want to know what “kishkas” are, thank you very much. I fear I'd never eat again.
Jeez Laurie, where you been? I started hitting reload on the Comments section the moment I read that DG was treated rudely…. :-)
I'm less concerned where Graves works off his rust geographically than when he does. With a six-run lead? Fine, as far as that goes.
The option of performing well remains available to him and all his teammates.
Fear not, Jace. I remain ever vigilant. And the first sniff of a rumor that my BELOVED Danny Graves might be coming here filled me with dread and sadness. That's not how it should be, is it? You should thrill to the thought of your favorite players joining your favorite team.Anyway, I'm just enjoying the blissful freedom from hate and bitter negativity that comes with a Mets road trip. Talk about a world gone topsy-turvy…
I must say, in person the slide really didn't look that bad. Even in the reply you have to look closely for the impact. My first thought at the stadium was that he'd gotten clobbered in his wedding tackle.
Since it occured on the last out and it was raining quite nicely, most of the Mets quickly glanced over to the second base area hoping Kaz would quickly get up. Then they milled around not knowing whether to high five each other or call for a stretcher.
Per the weather, while it was yucky the worst part is that I didn't expect it. I left straight from work so I had to pack the night before. Since Wednesday was lovely and in the '80's AND since it's not supposed to rain here after mid-May I had packed shorts, flip-flops and my Mets road jersey and hat. NOT my Mets windbreaker or A's long sleeve shirt or nuthin' warm. And wasn't buying nothing being the Mets stuff just cost almost $200.00.
Sorry about my Graves comment but, yowsa, did he look bad. The A's beat on those pitches like they knew what was coming. Hope it his velocity he's trying to get back up 'cause them there balls looked might slow. Maybe we need to call up old man Benito to catch him…