This Has Been Painful

I can appreciate MLB's attempts to expand the game. I understand the appeal to bringing the game around the world. But honestly, I find this whole San Juan Series to be an awful idea. Maybe its the fact that the Mets have played some of their worst baseball of the year, headed by Jerry Manuel managing some his worst games of the year. Or maybe its the crowd's UNBELIEVABLY ANNOYING constant use of the f----ing airhorns, coupled with the PA's over use of the excruciatingly painful "Banana Boat Song", (more popularly known as "Day-O"). Or maybe its being forced to watch games played in a minor league park on Veteran Stadium style Astroturf. Or maybe its having to hear over and over how much it has to be killing Carlos Beltran not to be playing in this series. Whatever the reason, and there are a whole list of them, I have never wished a series to be over so quickly.

The Legend Builds . . .

I have nothing to say about Johan Santana anymore that has not been said. The bottom line is this: he is a good pitcher, but not the reliable ace he once was. He is not even in the National League's top three.

Anyway, considering I am very busy at work right now, rather than write anything I give you the following video for your Angry Enjoyment:

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR VIEWING ENJOYMENT

?!?

I am stunned. Stunned that the Mets are tied in the loss column with the Braves for first place in the NL East. Stunned, regardless of the competition, that they have won six in a row on the road. Stunned that they enter the most obnoxious sports complex in the world ten games over five hundred. Stunned that David Wright is the NL leader in RBI's. Stunned over Niese, Pelfrey, RA, and the fact that the Mets actually have a productive Japanese player. Even a little stunned at how awful John Franco is on SNY. Its a list that can seemingly go on in perpetuity.

I find myself struggling to find a voice these days, as I do not want to be the jack ass who has to complain about everything, (i.e. the two dolts on the 10am FAN slot), yet I have been here so many times before. Walking around in a state of euphoria, life seemingly for the taking, Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill repeatedly playing from speakers that are the blue skies above, and strangers approaching me on the street: "Looking Good, Chief", "How 'bout those Mets", "Things are happening", "See that game last night?" After all, what else is there to talk about but those Amazin' Mets. And that's usually when the bottom falls out. Its about that time that I am reminded of the path I have chosen. And its usually when I descend into a dark and unhealthy state of bitterness.

So, while I am not going to complain just for the sake of complaining, I am committed to not allowing myself to get too high, as it has routinely proven unhealthy. What is making the implementation of this strategy so difficult, however, is not only are the Mets winning but they are playing with sense of purpose we have not seen in forever. And they seem to be having fun doing it! The last time I can even recall that being the case was when Paul LoDuca was picking Nassau Community College Coeds up at Sprats on the Water.

Shock an Awe in Section 130

I have had my moments of offensive and obnoxious behavior. I have more often than I'd like to admit been "That Guy" who, along with his friends, has had too much to drink and made the experience for others an uncomfortable one. Whether it has been at movies, concerts or sporting events, I have been guilty of ruining it for others. And while these performances were put on many, many years ago and were part of the make up of a much younger version of myself, I believe that the universe often has its revenge. It seems as if I often sit in front of the talkers at movies, next to the large person on an airplane, among crying children on a bus ride and next to the loud and obnoxious who can't hold their drink at bars. And I accept that I deserve this. Payback is, after all, a bitch.

But I cannot accept what I was subjected to while sitting in Section 130 at Citi Field on Thursday night as an equitable form of punishment for my past indiscretions. I refuse to believe that any person, especially any Met Fan, is deserving of the torment that I endured at the hands of a fellow fan while taking in the second game of a day-night double header against the Firars.

While Thursday night's game will be remembered for Jon Niese throwing the 26th one hitter in Mets history, I will always remember it for not only what was happening on the field, but what was also happening DIRECTLY behind me. What made the experience even more traumatic was the failure of those who generously gave me the tickets earlier in the day to adequately prepare me for this insane woman, as she is apparently on the same ticket plan schedule as they are. As one of the responsible parties would go on to say after the fact, "I conveniently left that out."

I will not go through a full description of this particular fan's behavior, as there are very few writers in the world talented enough to fully express its impact. The experience could not be fully understood by simply explaining in detail the constant need to engage in my conversations, the top of the lung yelling of "YOU SUCK!!" to the umpire after every called ball, the awkward and thunderous expressions of love for Jeff Francouer and "The Animal" Chris Carter, her desire to know every thought in Howie Rose's head from the guy wearing headphones sitting next to her and the loud conversations with herself over expected moves by Jerry Manuel- Top of the Ninth Inning: "I KNOW HE'S GONNA TAKE NIESE OUT!!!! WHY?? HE'S GONNA BRING IN K-ROD!! WHY DOES HE HAVE TO TRY AND GET HIM HIS SAVE?? JERRY SUCKS!! WHY IS HE GONNA TAKE HIM OUT?? LET THE KID FINISH THE GAME!!! DAMMIT I HATE MANUEL!!! HE SUCKS!!!!- (needless to say, Niese finished the game, although she did express concern throughout the bottom of the ninth- in similar fashion to the top half- that he would be pulled). No, my words just could not do it justice.

I, therefore, am hoping to use Thursday night's happening as motivation for this blog. After all, great moments in history are often triggered by terrible events. Like Kennedy's assassination spawned civil right's legislation, it is my hope that the pain I endured on Thursday will somehow help contribute to great things for the future of Angry Met Fan. The universe, I believe, has had its payback. Now it owes me one.

Ike Davis: Surviving Through The Madness

As I jubilantly jumped from my couch while watching Ike Davis's game winning home run soar into the Pepsi Porch I could not help but feel that ineffable sense of excitement that only comes when watching a home grown player make an impact. As up and down this season has been, (inexplicably based on where they play), the one constant has been Ike. It has been a pleasure watching him come up from within the system and make such an immediate impact on the club. And more impressive than his fast start has been his ability to fight his way out of slumps and make his own at bat adjustments to counter the adjustments opposing pitchers have inevitably made in pitching to him. It really has been amazing to watch a rookie show such maturity in the way he plays every aspect of the game. And in reflecting on this I could not help but think of an article on the Met first baseman that appeared in the Daily News on April 25, 2010, just a few days into Ike's major league career. While the article's objective was to profile Davis, what made it most memorable to me was the unintentional glimpse it gave us into the incompetent Met infrastructure.

In the article, written by Wayne Coffey, we learn that the Mets drafted Davis 18th in the June 2008 draft based on the reports of Met scout, Mike Brown. After signing, Davis reported to the Brooklyn Cyclones where he played through an oblique injury and performed poorly in 58 games. While there were a few in the organization preaching patience and attributed his performance partly to his nagging injury, many had determined that Davis was a bust. According to Coffey, a source says that Brown "was ripped for the possible squandering of the pick" and that "[Brown] got ridiculed unbelievably for what happened in Brooklyn [and] caught all kinds of flack." Noteworthy, is that Brown left the organization the following year.

So, what does this little story tell us. Well, if not for the incompetence we have seen from the Met hierarchy over the years and the reports we have heard as to how business is conducted throughout the organization, maybe this would not be such a big deal. But in the context of the circus that is the Wilponian-Omar Mets its says so much. To me it says that the inmates who run the asylum had judged Davis a bust after 58 games in Single A and pushed out the scout responsible for selecting him. Meanwhile, I confidently presume, these same dolts are still gainfully employed with the Mets -and have probably been given raises- despite not one of them having been responsible for the selection of any meaningful player. In fact, I further presume, that many of them are tight with Tony Bernazard, who, from what insiders have described as terrible as an evaluator as he was a human being, would still be be employed with the Mets if not for last year's embarrassing headlines.

Then again, my presumptions could be wrong. But based on what we have lived through over the past five years would you bet against me?