There are plenty of reasons to be frustrated about the Mets, or concerned about their ability to compete. I’ve reported on them for you here, and that will continue. But today will be for something very different. Today, I’m going to enjoy baseball with my daughter. Long before I knew… Read More →
As Mets fans push through October by remembering the 1986 playoffs, Dwight Gooden will share his memories of both the on-field and off-field experiences on ESPN’s tremendous program E60 tonight at 8 PM. The interview is by Jeremy Schaap, so you know it will be good. Sadly, the stories he… Read More →
It would be fair to say my first vivid memory of the New York Mets, as a fan, happened 25 years ago today. On a Saturday afternoon, as a six-year-old, I watched Lenny Dykstra’s game-winning home run next to my father. As I recounted in my book, Taking the Field,... Read More →
It’s interesting to me how huge changes in society can have unforseen consequences. 21 years ago, I was riveted to the Dave Magadan chase for the National League batting title. Magadan was my favorite player, I understood batting average to be the primary tool in evaluating a hitter, and I… Read More →
Howard Johnson officially went 0-0 with a walk, but his two days playing alongside his son Glen was about more than on-field results. I had the chance to chat with HoJo just now following the game, along with New York Baseball Digest’s Mike Silva. Take a listen. http://db.tt/N5m5uKl
Growing up a Mets fan, I always thought of the 1969 Mets and the 1980s Mets as two separate entities. Different decades, different players, no overlap. But naturally, that isn’t entirely true. And that reality was reinforced last night when I opened a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, and… Read More →
The Rockland Boulders had a fantastic announcement this morning: former 36th round Mets draft pick Glen Johnson is set to join the team this weekend for the final two home games of the season. He’ll be joined by his father, Howard Johnson, who you might remember as this guy. Let… Read More →
A top-of-the-head lineup of greatest Mets would look something like: Piazza-C, Hernandez 1B, Alfonzo 2B, Wright 3B, Reyes SS, Jones LF, Beltran CF, Strawberry RF. In other words, the opportunities to see a good percentage of the finest Mets to ever man a position together have been rare. Piazza-Hernandez-Strawberry were… Read More →
One of the enjoyable byproducts of the Mets winning Wednesday night, New York batter getting hit by a pitch. The batter was Daryl Boston, and I remember that game well, though I hadn’t thought about Daryl Boston in years. He was a Mets fan’s consolation prize after Darryl Strawberry, my… Read More →
The Mets are off today before beginning a road trip that will take them to Milwaukee and Pittsburgh in a single week. Alas, the story that appears to be overshadowing the series win New York posted this weekend against Atlanta- not to mention that a functioning bullpen would have given… Read More →
When I heard about the passing of Dana Brand, I puzzled over how to properly honor him. I had been looking forward to seeing him on June 16 at the Tappan Free Library, and I realized that no one would get the opportunity to hear him that night if I… Read More →
Mets fans, like any other group, can’t really be classified. Yankee fans are often labeled as “entitled”, but we all know Yankee fans that inherited the team from a parent, an older brother, who lived through Horace Clarke or Hensley Muelens. And Mets fans aren’t all like Dana Brand, a… Read More →
Ex-Met Yogi Berra turns 86 today, and for some reason, people are transfixed on the brief period of time he spent with the New York Yankees. And sure, the parts of 18 seasons he resided in The Bronx had some highlights- like Berra watching Bill Mazeroski’s home run clear the… Read More →
Kudos to the Mets for winning yet again. Even with their slow start, if the Mets continue not to lose a game for the rest of the season, their 149-13 season mark should make them a playoff team for sure. For comparison, the vaunted 1986 team finished 108-54, or 41… Read More →
The now-invincible Mets, after three weeks of extreme vincibility, resume this evening with Chris Young on the mound. But I’d like to direct your attention instead to this piece of news: Brian Bannister has no plan to pitch this season, after fleeing Japan following the earthquake/tsunami. Bannister, you will remember,... Read More →