One of the best westerns of all-time is ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.’ In one scene, Tuco, played by Eli Wallach, is getting the hell beat out of him by a soldier who is nearly three times his size. Beaten, injured and demoralized the bloody Tuco looks up at his assailant and speaks the words, “I like big men like you. When you fall you make more noise.” This reminds me of the [...]

Although Tom Petty wrote his classic song, ‘The Waiting (is the hardest part)’ over 20 years ago, this songs rings true today. Am I the only one tired of waiting for John Maine to develop into what we all expected? He came onto the scene in 2006 and showed promise, potential and a bright future. Now 3 years removed from his debut he is still labeled as one who has promise, potential and a bright [...]

When one thinks back to the Mets of the 1960’s and 70’s, certain images come to mind: Casey, Tom Seaver, Tug pounding his glove on his leg, black cats, Miracles, fans ripping up the field and so forth. Off the field, however, there were others who were just as much a part of Shea Stadium folklore. One such Mets icon was organist Jane Jarvis. Miss Jarvis died a few days ago in Englewood, NJ.  Just [...]

We all share great memories of 1986. One that stands out for me was actually the pre-game show prior to Game 7. Red Sox 2nd basemen Marty Barrett was being interviewed. The reporter asked him if he felt confident the Sox could overcome the Mets miraculous comeback in Game 6. Barrett answered eloquently, in a politically correct way as athletes often do. Then at the end of the interview he added the comment, ‘We should [...]

Safe to say none of us were really shocked when Mark McGwire admitted using steroids. The court of public opinion had already found him guilty and on Monday Big Mac admitted what we all suspected and knew in our hearts for years. It does, however, give us reason to look at the long term effects on the game cause by PED’s. In my opinion, the impact and destructive nature of Steroids is one that will [...]

There once was a ballplayer. He ended the regular season without getting a hit in the final 9 games of the year. In spite of this, his team made it to the World Series. His hitting woes continued in the Fall Classic when he went hitless in every game, going 0-21, one of the worst Series performances ever. As a result, his team lost in 7 games. Perhaps one simple base hit would have garnered [...]

This week the Yankees captured yet another World Series. Combined with our beloved Mets, the two New York teams have now combined for 29 Championships. In the tradition of Donn Clendenon and Ray Knight, Hideki Matsui was named Series MVP. The Yankees got a memorable HR from A-Rod, much like Al Weis in 69. Johnny Damon stole a game with a brilliant play on the basepaths, similar to J C Martin against the Orioles. The [...]

Throughout our history, we’ve had our fair share of great pitchers. The names Seaver, Gooden and Santana quickly come to mind. However, if there was one game that your life depended on, if you needed a big win, Jerry Koosman should be listed first. The best lefty in team history, Koosman was always capable of shining in the national spotlight. By comparison, Seaver compiled a 1-2 record with a 2.70 ERA in his World Series [...]

With Nelson Figueroa’s shutout over Houston on Sunday, the Mets sealed the lid on yet another decade without a Championship. These last 10 years were filled with extreme highs and bottomless lows. But overall, how will the first decade of the 21st century be remembered? In my opinion, this was the worst decade in our history. Each 10 year period conjures up certain memories and images. The Mets of the 60s’ are black and white [...]