You know when I was just a teenager, I was the drummer in a band we called Andromeda. Yes, I’m aware that some Swedish band has since swiped our name, but that’s okay as I heard they were heavy metal too. I also wrote dozens of songs, mostly on the backs of napkins at 3:00 AM in the morning, while plowing through a plate of pancakes or french toast and a bottomless cup of coffee at the Vegas Diner in Brooklyn. 🙂
So here I am watching the ALCS Â tonight and feeling kind of bored… I took a look at the site, as I’m currently working on a major rebuild for next month, and I got a little sad when I saw the Mike Baxter post as our top story. As you know he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers today. I know that Baxter wasn’t long for this team, but you know how it is… We all hate goodbyes…
The Agony and the Ecstasy
I got to thinking about instrumental he was in ending the no-hitter drought for the Mets and preserving it for Johan Santana with a magnificent grab in the seventh inning.
Playing in left field, Baxter sprinted back just in time to snare Yadier Molina’s drive, but the momentum had him crashing full speed into the outfield wall. Though clearly injured and crumpled on the ground, he clutched the ball tightly for the out.
The catch wiped him out with a displaced collarbone as well as a concussion. Poor Mike was never quite the same hitter when he returned from the disabled list eight weeks later. But IÂ thought I’d honor him with a poem…
An Ode To Whitestone Mike
It wasn’t just a common fly,
That Whitestone Mike had caught.
This catch was either do or die,
A drop would be for naught.
With tensions building in the stands,
The faithful held their breaths.
And on the mound he clenched his hands,
As Johan turns and sweats.
A giant wall stood in his path,
But glory would prevail.
As Whitestone Mike had timed the catch,
And every soul exhaled.
And as they helped him to his feet,
The crowed let our a roar.
The No-No Johan would complete,
The drought would be no more.
Be good Mike, you’ll always be Metsmerized around here…
