22
2009
Random Mets Thoughts
An article by 
Okay. I realize the Shea remembrances and tributes have been done to death recently. It had finally come to a head this week with the last remnants of the old girl finally coming down. That being said, I’m going to beat the dead horse a little more.
For 44 years our beloved Mets called Shea Stadium home. It doesn’t really seem like a long time when you think about it. I know to those of us who have been Mets fans for the better part of our lives it seems like yesterday. Whether that conjures up images of Tom Seaver and Buddy Harrelson or Darryl Strawberry and “El Sid”, the images remain as fresh as if they happened yesterday.
The last time I walked into Shea on August 9th, 2008 I can honestly say it was the same as the first time I stepped foot in there 14 years before. It was as if she was ageless…a big blue and orange time machine of sorts. For me, Shea was home to moments of wonder, excitement and even romance. I’m thankful that during the Mets time there we were treated to competitive teams more often than not, and can boast of 4 pennants and 2 World Championships. Personally, it may take me some time to get used to Shea not being there and referring to Citi Field as home. Just as the great Garth Algar once noted when he was asked his opinion of the new “Wayne’s World” set:
“It’s like a new pair of underwear. At first it’s constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.”
I think Citi Field will be the same way. Sure it isn’t what we’re used to, but we’ll make ourselves at home soon enough. …
Former Mets pitcher Neil Allen will serve as pitching coach for the Montgomery Biscuits franchise here in Alabama, a Tampa Bay Rays Double A affiliate. His most notable career accomplishment as a Met was being traded to the Cardinals for Keith Hernandez. I wonder who got the better end of that deal?
I hope everyone has that “We’re the team to beat” crap out of their systems and concentrates on playing ball now. Verbal urinating contests have become boring. I believe one Sports Illustrated Fan Nation reader said it would be more interesting if Cole Hamels got beaned and Jose Reyes came in from short to do the merengue around his head. Sounds mean, but I don’t think I could look away…
Heres to a great 2009! Let’s Go Mets!
About the Author: Adam Baker
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 19 | .578 | 0.5 |
| Mets | 24 | 20 | .545 | 2.0 |
| Marlins | 24 | 20 | .545 | 2.0 |
| Phillies | 22 | 23 | .489 | 4.5 |
Last updated: 05/24/2012
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Adam, I share your sentiments about Shea. I’ve had two old girls tell me I’m no longer needed and off-limits visiting. First it was Ebbets Field, and lately, like you, it’s been Shea Stadium.
While both provided me with excitement and entertainment, the closing of Ebbets was more traumatic. It was a cozy, intimate ballpark, surrounded by homes with driveways which housed the vehicles of the ballplayers while the game was played. Remembering how we kids surrounded Carl Furillo in one such driveway, while he signed autographs for the better part of an hour after a game, is a memory I’ll always cherish.
Years later, in the first season after the departure of the hated O’Malley to Tinseltown, I played baseball in an amateur game on the hallowed greens of Charlie Ebbets’ ballpark. Truth be told, the lockerrooms and amenities revealed a building that time had passed by, but Ebbets Field, with its almost 40 feet high right field wall, was magical when I saw the Dodgers play there.
It’s been said that you never forget your first love, but I’ve had two old girls who will be with me forever.
Always good to read your work. Takes a few shots at the emotions, doesn’t it?
I can’t say I’ve had the privelege to see much historical things happen in my time here. But Shea was a great place. I still remember the first time I walked in…My mouth dropped. It really did feel like home.
Hopefully, i get that same feeling from Citi Field. The flipside is that even if I wasn’t around for Shea or Ebbets Field, i will be around for Citi Field. And although i don’t like the name…
It’ll become a part of me.
LGM 09!
For the past 3 days I have been in Philadelphia, home of the 2009 World Series Champion Phaggies who if the Mets didn’t choke at the end of the season would have been the 2009 PGA Tour Champions. Oh well. They will probably get that trophy this year though as the odds for a repeat does not look good.
So why am I talking about the Phillies in such a bad way? Well, I just spent three days in Philadelphia getting looks and comments from Phillies fans due to the fact that I was wearing my Mets jacket everywhere I went. One interesting comment was “Hey you! You better have a bulletproof vest under that jacket coming in here like this. Your team thinks they are hot shit now that they got a new closer!” Well a fight did not break out, I just kind of told the guy that talk is talk, and the Mets need to walk the walk. Which they will do this year when K-Rod shuts everyone up, underrated or not he gets the job done. Yes Brad Lidge got the job done last year by not blowing one save, but you can’t expect that to happen again. I mean come on!
Now in this article I want to address my predictions for the NL East in 2009, but first I want to talk about one quick thing; which is why the Philles won the World Series.
I just came to realize that if the Mets never had choked last year like they did, the Phillies would have never had the chance to make a run for the World Series. And I’m talking about last season and the 2007 season. Towards the end of the season the Mets were leading the Phillies in the NL East Division by a decent margin of games. The Mets entered about 11 or 12 games towards the end of the season leading in the 7th inning, where the bullpen would then collapse and the Mets would lose. I understand that the Mets should have been clutch and had opportunities to be clutch, but if the bullpen we have now came in last year, the Mets hitters wouldn’t need all that pressure to be clutch because we wouldn’t have had to score anymore runs. Which leads to my conclusion, that if the Mets had never choked, the Phillies would have never gotten a 2nd World Series title. All that momentum they got at the end with winning games and such never would have mattered, but sense the Mets collapsed the momentum helped them get to where they are now.
So anyways, here is my NL East Prediction for the 2009 MLB Season…
1. New York Mets – I choose the New York Mets to win the 2009 NL East Division. You probably think I did that because I’m a Mets fan, well thats only half of it. I chose the Mets because of the new bullpen and the fact that they were ahead of the Phillies at the end, and that all they need now is a solid bullpen to finish the job. Is K-Rod, and Putz overrated? Maybe so, but they still get the job done and you can’t deny that!
2. Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies are the runners-up for the 2009 NL East Division. Once again you probably think I picked the Phillies second because of my dislike towards them, and the fact that they are rivals of the Mets which is true, but, the main reason is because the only reason they won the division the last 2 seasons in a row was because of the Mets collapsing and I do not believe that a repeat is in sight. Brad Lidge is a solid closer for the Phillies and is underrated, but the Mets will without a doubt have the best bullpen in the NL East. I don’t care if you think K-Rod is overrated. Bottom line is that if the Mets don’t choke (which looks very likely), the Phillies will be getting ready for the PGA Trophy early.
3. Florida Marlins – The Florida Marlins are going to be third for the time being for the 2009 NL East Division. I wanted to put the Marlins ranking to 2nd in the division, but I will give the Phillies a little more respect given the fact that they did win the World Series and do have a statistically better team then the Marlins. Yet, the Marlins look good, they have a ton of young pitching that will deff. keep them in the contention for the division and they avoided arbitration by signing their star 2nd baseman Dan Uggla to an extended 5.35 Million contract which is a raise of oh, lets just say about 1,200% from last season.
4. Washington Nationals – The Nationals will without a doubt be in the number four slot in the 2009 NL East Division at the end of the 2009 season. The Nats lost 102 games last season and the only big move they made over the break was Adam Dunn which is very impressive, but one player is not going to make this team any better then 4th place. Although Manny was 1 player, and did bring the Dodgers back into the playoffs last season, but Adam Dunn doesn’t have that kind of spark to carry a team on his shoulders so don’t expect to much from this team.
5. Atlanta Braves – I hope the Atlanta Braves come in 5th to back up my prediction of them for the 2009 NL East Division. Besides the Yankees, the Braves are on my list of teams I wish would fall off the face of the earth. I’m not even going to write about what I think their season will be like because it’s a waste of my time.
Well there you have it, this is my prediction for the 2009 NL East Division. I would love feedback as long as it’s not negative. All I’m doing is stating my opinions, yours are also welcome, but please try and keep it PG. Haha.
Great work, Adam. It definitley conjures up some good memories. Shea was my first love and always will be. I’m having a hard time enjoying the excitement of Citi Field: It’s as if I am ‘cheating on my first girlfriend.’
I remember my first tme walking into Shea. As my dad & I parked our car and walked towards the stadium, my mouth was wide open. The stadium was huge. It seemed to envelop the entire neighborhood. And walking through the tunnel and seeing the field for the first time? Amazing. The brown of the infield. The bright green grass of the outfield stretched for miles and miles. This was 1973 and I remember it like it was yesterday.
As an interesting side note, there was a huge problem with our seats. My dad talked to this person, talked to that person, talked to another person. After all, this was his son’s very first Baseball game. When all was said and done, we ended up sitting in the Press Box, 2 booths down from Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner. True story. I mean, doesnt everyone get to do this for the 1st game??? LOL I thought maybe the Mets did this for every 1st game a kid went to. Apparently not! So, even though every other time I went to Shea, I had to sit ‘with the regular fans,’ it was still great memories.
Farewell to Shea: Gone–but not forgotten.
Thanks for writing this Adam. It was worth ‘beating a dead horse’ one more time
Oh–and to DES: That’s a great story about surrounding Carl Furillo (The Reading Rifle) in his driveway!!!
I’ve always thought Furillo was probably the most underrated of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He truly put up some damn good #’s but got overshadowed
I loved this post Adam!
Furillo was also known as Skoonj by the newspapers during his career. A nice man indeed.
Looking back at Furillo, he had a helluva arm, which he used from time to time when there was a shot off the Ebbets Field RF wall and he grabbed the carom and nailed a baserunner who got too frisky. His arm was about the same as another old ballplayer, Rocky Colavito. Rocky played about ten years after Carl. But Rocky had a long windup with an extra step when he threw from rightfield. So to me Furillo was much better throwing.