“Mick, what happened? I’m all woozy.”
“Ya got knocked down, kid. Flattened was more like it.”
“Again? I thought this time was supposed to be different.”
“Yer not throwin’ any punches, kid! Ya got hit! Ya gotta hit back! Ya used to be a thing a’ beauty, I tell ya, what with yer resiliency an’ th’ way ya fought ’til th’ final bell. What happened to ya, kid?”
“I thought ya told me to stand still and take it.”
“I told ya ta take THREE pitches with th’ bases loaded an’ nobody out ’cause I didn’t have no faith in ya at that particular moment — but THEN ya had ta come out fightin’! Ya hit into a double play instead.”
“I’m confused, Mick. Where’s my belt?”
“What belt?”
“The belt I brought with me from up the Turnpike, yo, the belt I been carryin’ around with me for I think the last 90 days.”
“That was no belt, kid. That was a lead. Ya hadn’t won anything yet. Now ya ain’t leadin’, neither.”
“So what now, Mick?”
“Ya gotta get up! Ya gotta get yer timin’ back! Ya need t’ defend when th’ other pug comes at ya! Most of all, ya need The Eye Of The Tiger!”
“The Eye Of The Tiger?”
“The Eye Of The Tiger!”
“Mick, have I been traded to the American League?”
“Kid! Focus! Ya got another 53 rounds in this fight! Ya got two more this weekend alone! Ya gotta stop bein’ so friendly with th’ canvas!”
“Oh, I’m very friendly, Mick. I got great what they call chemistry. I even got a horse I keep at ringside sometimes. Don’t worry, it’s just what they call a plush toy. I wouldn’t bring no real horse to a regulation bout. I mean I ain’t no mental genius, but I’m not stupid, yo. I just like to act like I am for fun sometimes. Anyhows, I thought my chemistry and playfulness is why everybody’s been embracin’ me figuratively if not actually because, yo, I know ya can’t get too close to somebody without a mask or preferably an inoculating vaccine these days. I hear they’re very effective, and I oughta know, ’cause I been takin’ plenty of shots this week.”
“They’ll like ya when yer standin’ in th’ ring goin’ toe fer toe an’ punch fer punch when yer attacked! Right now even yer fans can’t stand ya!”
“They can’t? I gotta say that’s very disturbing, mentally speaking.”
“Ya look dead, kid! Dead as a doornail that fell outta th’ doorknob! Ya gotta get yerself undeaded NOW!”
“Yeah, OK, Mick. Just one thing, though.”
“What’s that?”
“If these next two rounds are in Philadelphia, who am I really in this scenario? I mean I appreciate the metaphorical symbolism an’ all, it’s very well extrapolated and executed, but are we just ignorin’ the identity of the stadium and the opposition to say nothin’ of the statue the locals erected to their hometown albeit fictional hero? I don’t think most of these people here are necessarily gonna be chantin’ my name out there even if I’m pretty sure I saw a lotta orange an’ blue in the crowd when I wasn’t seein’ all them stars, which by the way is very nice of so many of my fans to make that trip and I hate to let ’em down ’cause you know it’s a lotta bother and expense to come down the Turnpike or even take the train when ya gotta take it back late on a Friday night. Yo, I’m just sayin’.”
“KID! STOP ASKIN’ ME QUESTIONS I CAN’T ANSWER!! GET OUT THERE AN’ FIGHT LIKE YER TITLE DEPENDS ON IT!!!”
“What title? I thought you said I don’t got no title yet, Mick”
“Exactly, kid. Exactly.”
FAFIF is always in first place in my book.
I took no pleasure in last night’s affairs. Bases loaded, 0 out, I said to myself: Stroman strikes out and Nimmo hits into a DP. What do you think then happened?
Not talked about much is that Nimmo is in a blinding, soul-crushing, horrific slump. But I guess the whole team is. I believe I will follow Gary Cohen’s cue and take the weekend off.
The game was over when Stroman didn’t take the bat off his shoulder.
No way Jake would have done that.
Movie Trailer VO:
In a world of melting glaciers and rising seas
came a ragtag bunch from Flushing…
Tossing their bandages, calling on complete and far flung strangers
They coalesced in a hopeful spring–
eschewing lifeboats and preservers,
lifting each other, buoyant!
Treading water for ninety days and nights
their mere survival astounding casual onlookers
And then– as July followed June,
They fished, they flailed, they whiffed –impaled
Passivity and conspicuous waste, their new watchwords
Heads bobbing, gasping, barely seaworthy in a becalmed August
They were, “THE SQUANDERERS!”
(Not to be confused with the old time string band from Sardinia, Ohio
No rights reserved)
Bad Mets baseball is always better than no Mets baseball. This year’s team is a frustrating follow, though.
Nationals 2015 MVP Bryce Harper putting the game away as Diaz pointed at the smacked HR like Hansel Robles reinforced that the 2021 Mets remind of the 2015 Nationals sinking in quicksand as the Mets steamed past them during the same part of the season.
Base loaded, no out, no score again! How can a team that’s able to put runners on base be so bad at driving them in when it’s the same actions to do both?
I would have preferred to see Stroman at least take a hack, but I wasn’t bothered much by passing the buck to Nimmo. Hitting into a DP on the 1st pitch was bad. A lot of DPs lately. Of course, albeit not in a force-out, bases-loaded situation, Gibson driving in the go-ahead run — after a Conforto misplay — made the Stroman give-up and Mets struggle to score look worse.
Stroman pitched a good game, though I’m mixed about him coming out after 5 innings and 90 pitches even after his spot in the order didn’t come around in the top of the 6th. Shame to waste another well enough pitched game.
Injuries and the hitherto stalwart pitching breaking, yes. But the most frustrating aspect of this team is the paper-tiger offense of the regulars, who are mostly playing and needed to score like they’re supposed to to compensate for the worn-down pitching. Albeit many of them are playing hurt and it shows with a slow team playing even slower, the same regulars who finished last last year have resumed their losing ways upon taking back their spots from the Bench Mob that earned 1st place.
Like the Marlins, the Phillies weren’t good. The Mets were just worse. I expect the Braves to pull ahead of the Phillies. And I expect the stretch with the Dodgers and Giants will knock the Mets well into the distinct 2nd tier with the Nationals and Marlins. The Mets are not that far ahead of the Marlins where a 2nd consecutive last-place finish is out of the question.
McNeil not starting today. Even though he was held out Wed in Miami so he could play all three in Philly. Either he’s hurt again or the FO is entering a panic mode. If Baez and Cano return next year, the squirrel will be stuck buying pizza for the rat forever.
please rojas, kick some dirt, throw a weak punch at the ump.
we need you to take a few days off.
no suicide squeeze. just suicide.
if stroman doesn’t swing and is 1st out on 3pitches HOW DO YOU ALLOW THE INNING TO BE OVER ON THE 4thPITCH??? (yes luis i AM screaming)
this team needs to be creative if they are so RISP bat-inept.
tease a balk…hope for a wild pitch. play for a walk??
Well, another terrible game. When will we win again?
how does quattlebaum still have a job?
I wonder if Kevin Millar could be persuaded to take the job. I always did think he was a good hitter, and besides, if it’s not an improvement, at least it’ll keep Gary and Keith on their toes. Cowboy up.