Daily Archives: September 25, 2008
From the right-field wall, I turned in to the home-team bullpen, which is guarded by a countless number of tarps, buckets, brooms and rakes.
The view from those elevated seats that you see the relievers sitting in is quite nice. Also, the area is covered in sunflower seed shells, as you would imagine.
Down and to the left of the visible elevated seats are two, authentic loge-level seats from Shea, bolted to a block of wood, and next to them are a strip of orange seats out of field level. I sat in one, but the thick screen and Plexiglas make for an awkward view. I’ll take the elevated seats, and seeds, instead. However, if the Tomato Plants were still around, these lower-level seats would have additional appeal.
The bullpen phone did not have a dial tone. I guess it’s like the Batman phone, in that there are no numbers, you just pick it up and it rings one way. Otherwise, yes, I would have called my father to say hello. Also, again, like everything else, the paint is warped, and thick, as it has clearly been painted in black over and over and over again over the years. Lastly, for what it’s worth, I have no seen a phone cord like that since the 80s, the thing is like a quarter-inch thick. Hilarious.
Roughly five or six players from the Cubs had been playing Frisbee football in the outfield of Shea Stadium a few moments ago – it must be nice to have a playoff spot clinched.
Later, Jeff Samardzija ran out on the field with a real football, and a more organized game began.
He kept running out for deep passes, as expected, but whomever was playing quarterback could not reach him.
By the way, it’s cold, cloudy and getting dark here at Shea Stadium, though I imagine they’ll be here all night if that’s what it takes to play this game.
Lastly, Damion Easley is the first player from the Mets to step on the field, doing some jogging, stretches and a weird one-legged hopping exercise between the right-field foul line and center field.
(Note: Originally I wrote that it was David Wright, not Easley, which means it’s official, I need new glasses)
Tagged Shea Stadium |
The Championship Pennants are significantly larger than I expected them to be.
Also, I ran, and jumped up against the wall, like I was trying to rob a home run, and that sucker is not nearly as sturdy as I hoped it would be. Also, now my back hurts, which should not be much of a surprise.
The padding is pretty firm, and there isn’t much of it. I thought that thing was like a pillow-top bed, but it’s not. If you put your hand on the 
wall and press in to it, there is about a quarter inch of give to it.
Also, it would not take much to punch your way through the Plexiglas between the field, the wall and the bullpen.
The first game I ever went to I sat just to the side of the right-field foul pole. That day, I could look straight down and see the wall, and Darryl Strawberry. Today, I’m standing on the warning track, where Strawberry stood, and I’m looking up at the seat. My mom would be proud.
Tagged Shea Stadium |
It really is amazing just how regular everything is in here. I guess I tend to romanticize the field at Shea Stadium, which is easy to do from a distance, when sitting in the upper deck.
For instance, the top of the dugout is just wood and concrete, with exposed nails and warped paint.
I’ll return to the dugout a little later.
Instead, I turned up field to walk the foul line, being sure to stop and stand on the spot where the ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs. I bent down, tapped the dirt and said, ‘Thank you.’
The photo in this post is of my feet on the foul line just behind the first base bag.
Tagged Shea Stadium |
So, it’s weird being in Shea Stadium so early and with so few people here.
Basically, it’s me, some sales people, and the grounds-crew, who are setting up the cages for batting practice, and getting the field ready.
I’m free to wander the field, the bullpens, dugout, etc., 
which is going to be very weird for me. I mean, when I was nine-years old, I truly believed I would play shortstop for the Mets. Of course, at nine, I didn’t know I would only grow to be 5’ 8”, and blow out both the ACL in each of my knees – yes, I blame height and ligaments, not my obvious lack talent.
The way the momentum shifted so many times last night reminded me of the entire 2008 season for the Mets, and I wrote a column about it on SNY. An excerpt:
Jerry Manuel called it the toughest loss of the year for a team that has endured many tough losses, maybe because of the way it epitomized the Mets’ torturous season. Down, up, down, up, down. Ugh.
As several Mets suggested after the game, they now have a four-game season in which to prove themselves worthy of postseason play. But this loss will linger. Whether caused by karma or stigma or malaise or simply a team relying too heavily on a roster better suited for March games than September ones, Wednesday’s game will stew in the minds of the players, the words of the media and the hearts of the fans.
Still, momentum could turn on Thursday, like it did so many times in Wednesday’s contest. But at some point, it becomes impossible for those emotionally invested in the Mets’ success to keep crying coincidence. At some point, it becomes impossible to keep believing.
I’m holding out hope for tonight and the rest of the week, but last night’s loss was about as demoralizing a game as I could think of. These Mets have bounced all season, though.
Tagged Ted Berg |
I will be at Shea Stadium today starting at 1 pm, live blogging my afternoon while roaming the building, taking pictures and essentially giving my random thoughts, interactions and feelings about a place that has broken my heart, inspired me and has been a home away for home throughout much of my life.
So, please, return to MetsBlog throughout the day, and feel free to share your thoughts and comments along the way.
Tagged Shea Stadium |
In his recent column for Newsday, Jim Baumbach says fans should give the Mets a break and hold back the booing for the rest of the season.
Baumbach understands why Mets fans have ‘short fuses,’ but also notes there are a few things to be positive about, writing:
“You know why there’s reason to be positive this morning? Because even after the worst loss of the season, the Mets are still tied with the Brewers for the wild card, meaning if the season ended last night there would be a play-in game today.
Tell me you wouldn’t have signed up for this situation – including the road that it took to get here – back on June 13 when the Mets were in fourth place and 7 1/2 games back”
…i’ve never understood why fans boo players from their own team…i’ve never once booed a player on the Mets…i just don’t get the purpose of booing your own team…in no way does that make me a better fan than those who boo…to me it just makes zero sense and its very hypocritical to do so…
…i’m just as frustrated as the next person, but at a time like this we, as fans of the Mets, should come together and do everything in our power to continue to believe and cheer for our team during this rough stretch…
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
…it is a little ridiculous, in that the team is tied for a playoff spot with four days left, and yet some of my fellow fans are quitting, giving up, booing and, instead, actually appear to rooting for failure, which i will never understand…
…that said, baumbach, who is a fantastic columnist, but who is a columnist, should not discount just how frustrated we are, he, like the team, should not dismiss how jerked around we, as a fanbase, are starting to feel…so, while i agree with him that we should be more supportive, if for no other reason than there are four days left and a legit chance for the playoffs, i understand why it can be so difficult at times…
Tagged Mike Nichols |Brian Costello is covering the Phillies-side of the pennant race for the New York Post.
In a post to his blog for the New York Post, Costello writes about how the Braves celebrated the Mets loss last night, while watching it from their clubhouse in Philadelphia.
According to Costello, as the Cubs scored in the 10th, the Braves began signing ‘Meet the Mets,’ and mocking the Kevin James Lets Go Mets video from Shea Stadium.
…well, to their credit, i mock that ridiculous Kevin James video, too…nothing against james, who i actually think is funny, but that video of him trying to get a chant going is down-right maniacal…
…that said, ouch…the Braves singing Meet the Mets is sort of like being informed of how the Cardinals were singing the Jose, Jose, Jose chant in their clubhouse following the NLCS in 2006, which you can check out by clicking here…
Tagged Phillies |
There are losses and then there are kicked-in-the-groin type losses like last night.
It feels like I am watching Apollo Creed getting bludgeoned to death, but I also refuse to throw in the towel just yet.
Following the game last night, David Wright, speaking to reporters, said:
“It’s a four-game season. It all comes down to who wants it more the last four games.”
Now it is tough to argue that they don’t want it more than anything, but what I question is do they have enough left in them? Can they pick themselves up off the mat one more time and win four in a row?
If you bleed blue and orange, then you have to believe they will.
Tagged Pedro Martinez | ← Older postsNewer posts →
