It’s that time of the year again. Seven weeks into the season and we are being asked to vote for the 2013 All-Stars. This week Cincinnati came to town. Now, imagine for a moment, if as you walked into Citi Field you were handed a ballot where you could choose which Reds you would want playing that day. Safe to say, we Mets fans would probably decide that Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce [...]

There are many adjectives that are used in conjunction with the 86 Mets. Confidence. Arrogance. Swagger. Obnoxious. But they were good, damn good. And they knew it. That’s a far cry from the 2013 Mets. However, it’s not just wins that count. It’s playing as a cohesive unit. It’s playing as, no pun intended, a TEAM. And that is something this club does not do. You don’t have to get along off the field. You don’t [...]

Las Vegas 4, Albuquerque 3 Last night I was at Cashman Field to witness the ace of the Las Vegas 51s and prized prospect Zack Wheeler on the mound. In many ways Wheeler lived up to the hype and pitched as expected. However, what I did NOT expect was the competitive spirit he displayed. His poise is more expected of a crafty veteran than a kid three weeks shy of turning 23. Wheeler pitched well, keeping Albuquerque [...]

A member of the SABR once said, “There are 499 ballplayers. And then there’s Willie Mays.” It was way back in the summer of 1973. Camera Day. I was a few months shy of turning 8 years old. My dad nudged me closer to the railing along the third base line so no grown-ups would block my view. Mets players walked around the warning track, stopping every few feet to smile for the cameras. My [...]

The street I live on is a fairly quiet residential one lane road. Three miles to the south it meanders up into the foothills that look down on the valley. It gives way to an expansive residence, the proverbial mansion on the hill. At night, the home is illuminated in a sea of blackness. There’s nothing close by and the property seems big enough to warrant its own zip code. On many Saturday nights, I [...]

While surfing the Internet the other night I came across an article about Matt Lauer. (It was nice to see something online not related to a Kardashian for a change.) The article explained how Lauer threatened to jump ship to CBS. To keep him on board NBC offered him a salary of $25 million. He accepted. And not a soul complained. $25 million for Matt Lauer? And he can’t even hit a curve. Every once in awhile I, [...]

We wont win this season. We wont compete this season. We wont be any good this season. Okay, now that that’s settled, lets go ‘Play Ball’ this season and see what happens. Opening Day is a little over one month away and when that first pitch is thrown, the Mets technically have just as good a chance as anyone to win. We Mets fans are an interesting bunch Always have been. In 1962 that other [...]

Keith Hernandez flied out to center for the second out of the inning. A tomblike silence fell over Shea. Fans stared in disbelief. The 108 regular season wins plus 6 more in the post-season meant nothing. Vin Scully announced Marty Barrett was chosen player of the game. And then…number 8 stepped to the plate. In a career that spanned nearly 2300 games and 8000 at-bats over 19 seasons, there are many memorable moments. However, the [...]

1986 was a great year. Sure, there was Doc and Darryl, Keith and Kid, Mookie and Mitchell, slow rollers and swagger. But for me, personally, it was also one of the best years of my life. I turned 21 that November. I was now ‘legal.’ I started my senior year in college, my entire life and all my dreams lay ahead of me. I got to meet and party with the members of Van Halen at [...]

Hall of Fame second basenan Rogers Hornsby was once asked what he does all winter. He replied, “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” After champagne is poured in the locker room and the commissioner presents the World Series trophy to the winning manager, I start the countdown to Opening Day. There are a few ‘obstacles’ to get through. Perhaps an election. Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Years. And [...]