Mets fans?

[ExWNYer]

8 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

LOL, same age you and I.  Didn't take you long to summarize every player expertly! 

 

Did you see Henderson at Old Timers Day? He's pushing 70 and tracked down a fly in RF.

 

So what are you earliest memories of the Mets? I'll share two:

 

My earliest is a vague memory of the Mets playing in the '69 WS. We had it on a B/W TV, something good happened for the Mets and we went outside to do something besides watch TV -  it was a beautiful autumn day.

 

First ever game was a Senior Citizens day in 1971 with my father and grandfather at Shea. My grandfather was the biggest influence on my love for the game. He played semi-pro and loved and shared the history with me. We sat up in the heavens in RF and watched the Mets get their @sses kicked. Carl Morton pitched for the Expos and I'm pretty sure had two extra base hits. For whatever reason I was still hooked! After that my father made sure we never sat in such crappy seats. Good times.

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I didn't catch any of Old Timers' Day as I was at my nephew's wedding. I did hear that Henderson and Mookie still looked like they could lace 'em up and play. That event was long overdue as is the old 'Banner Day'.

 

I'm not exactly sure what my first Mets memory was but I have to believe it was either the '69 Miracle Mets in the WS but more than likely it was the '73 Mets in the WS. I wish I had a more definitive and vivid memory. As I stated earlier, they weren't on TV much so if it wasn't one of those World Series then it had to be the 'Saturday Game of The Week' because it was those home pinstripe unis that hooked me. Also, they were a NY team and Buffalo didn't have a team. My dad was from Dunkirk and he was the reason my little brother and I became diehard Bills, Sabres, and (Buffalo) Braves fans. He wasn't a fan of any baseball team but my brother and I became diehard Mets fans. When we got cable in the '80s here in VA, our package included WOR, TBS, & WGN, all of whom carried the Mets, Braves, & Cubs games free. We watched the Mets on WOR every chance we got and my dad became a Mets fan because of my brother and me which was an opposite twist from the norm and I found cool (there's that word again). Both of my sons are Bills, Sabres, and Mets fans but it's my younger son who is the real sports nut. I didn't force them into the torture that is following these teams but I'm glad we share the same rooting interests.

 

The first Mets games I ever attended were against the Pirates at the old Three Rivers Stadium (what a dump) in 1987 with my brother, a friend of ours who was a Mets fan, and another friend who liked the Orioles. We saw two games from the left field seats and during one of them we witnessed Kevin McReynolds hit a grand slam, which was awesome. I still have the ticket stubs from those games. I think admission was like $5 or $8...definitely less than $10. I didn't see another Mets game in person until the mid/late '90s when I saw them at Camden Yards (gorgeous ballpark) against the Orioles in Baltimore. They lost that game. I remember when a co-worker (and fellow Mets fan) got the tickets, I told him "I hope Steve Trachsel is not pitching when we go." I couldn't stand Trachs. He always seemed to lose...badly. Guess who pitched? You got it...Steve Trachsel. lol To this day, the Mets pitchers I despise the most are Steve Trachsel and Doug Sisk (also always seemed to suck).

 

Awesome story about your father and grandfather. I love hearing stories like that and how the love of the sport is often passed down from generation to generation. I guess I was an aberration since my dad was not a baseball fan until later in life but I love sports and as a kid with no cable or internet, sports were the lifeblood for many of us. I know I'm old but I wouldn't change living thru that era for anything. LGM!!!

[SinceThe70s]

9 hours ago, ExWNYer said:

 

Unfortunately, I didn't catch any of Old Timers' Day as I was at my nephew's wedding. I did hear that Henderson and Mookie still looked like they could lace 'em up and play. That event was long overdue as is the old 'Banner Day'.

 

I'm not exactly sure what my first Mets memory was but I have to believe it was either the '69 Miracle Mets in the WS but more than likely it was the '73 Mets in the WS. I wish I had a more definitive and vivid memory. As I stated earlier, they weren't on TV much so if it wasn't one of those World Series then it had to be the 'Saturday Game of The Week' because it was those home pinstripe unis that hooked me. Also, they were a NY team and Buffalo didn't have a team. My dad was from Dunkirk and he was the reason my little brother and I became diehard Bills, Sabres, and (Buffalo) Braves fans. He wasn't a fan of any baseball team but my brother and I became diehard Mets fans. When we got cable in the '80s here in VA, our package included WOR, TBS, & WGN, all of whom carried the Mets, Braves, & Cubs games free. We watched the Mets on WOR every chance we got and my dad became a Mets fan because of my brother and me which was an opposite twist from the norm and I found cool (there's that word again). Both of my sons are Bills, Sabres, and Mets fans but it's my younger son who is the real sports nut. I didn't force them into the torture that is following these teams but I'm glad we share the same rooting interests.

 

The first Mets games I ever attended were against the Pirates at the old Three Rivers Stadium (what a dump) in 1987 with my brother, a friend of ours who was a Mets fan, and another friend who liked the Orioles. We saw two games from the left field seats and during one of them we witnessed Kevin McReynolds hit a grand slam, which was awesome. I still have the ticket stubs from those games. I think admission was like $5 or $8...definitely less than $10. I didn't see another Mets game in person until the mid/late '90s when I saw them at Camden Yards (gorgeous ballpark) against the Orioles in Baltimore. They lost that game. I remember when a co-worker (and fellow Mets fan) got the tickets, I told him "I hope Steve Trachsel is not pitching when we go." I couldn't stand Trachs. He always seemed to lose...badly. Guess who pitched? You got it...Steve Trachsel. lol To this day, the Mets pitchers I despise the most are Steve Trachsel and Doug Sisk (also always seemed to suck).

 

Awesome story about your father and grandfather. I love hearing stories like that and how the love of the sport is often passed down from generation to generation. I guess I was an aberration since my dad was not a baseball fan until later in life but I love sports and as a kid with no cable or internet, sports were the lifeblood for many of us. I know I'm old but I wouldn't change living thru that era for anything. LGM!!!

 

Doug Risk, lol. My most despised Mets tend to be relievers. Josh Edgin was a recent one that I had absolutely no use for. 

 

I'm happy to say that my kids also like the same teams as me. I went out of my way not to push the Bills down their throats since we're out of market. As to baseball I had a simple rule: you can root for any team you want - as long as its the Mets!

 

Appreciate the back and forth! If you get a chance try to track down video of Old Timers Day. It was outstanding, much better than I expected. Spoiler alert - Felix Millan attended.

[ExWNYer]

On 9/17/2022 at 9:32 AM, SinceThe70s said:

 

Doug Risk, lol. My most despised Mets tend to be relievers. Josh Edgin was a recent one that I had absolutely no use for. 

 

I'm happy to say that my kids also like the same teams as me. I went out of my way not to push the Bills down their throats since we're out of market. As to baseball I had a simple rule: you can root for any team you want - as long as its the Mets!

 

Appreciate the back and forth! If you get a chance try to track down video of Old Timers Day. It was outstanding, much better than I expected. Spoiler alert - Felix Millan attended.

 

Relievers are people, too...or are they?  I am right there with you. Other than Diaz (and sometimes Ottavino), this year is a prime example. The bullpen has been maddening and shows why relievers are the hardest to predict from year to year although the Mets FO did a poor job addressing this weakness prior to the season, IMO. A good example of reliever volatility is Aaron Loup. I was really disappointed when the Mets did not re-sign him but he's having a bad year for the Angels (who doesn't though)? On a side note, the careers of Trout and Ohtani are being completely wasted in the barren wasteland that is Anaheim. How do you roster them and Rendon and still find a way to be complete trash?

 

Nice to hear that you can root with your kids, too. It makes it more fun. Maybe our kids just wanted to emulate us because we are great dads. 😉  I said to my boys when they were younger, "I'm glad you like the teams you do because if you were Dolphin or Patriot fans I'd probably disown you." 😂 My family has always rooted for the same teams, even when I was growing up. It seems weird to me to have split households. I wouldn't want somebody in my own house gloating when I was in misery after a loss. My wife didn't really follow football when we met because she didn't understand the rules. I taught her and it was like a light bulb went off...she likes the sport now and is a Bills fan with the rest of us. 

 

I have enjoyed the back and forth, as well. I will definitely check out Old Timers Day. Thanks for the heads up. Let's get that sweep against the Buccos today! LGM!!! 

[SinceThe70s]

@ExWNYer @Gugny

 

If I got this right, since the Mets took 4/5 from them the Braves have gone 29-10 (.743). That's similar to what the Yankees were doing earlier this year. Relentless.

 

By way of comparison Mets went 25-17 (.595) since the 4/5. Good not great.

 

Disappointed we couldn't take advantage of the Braves loss to the Nats yesterday. But it would be very helpful for the Phillies to take at least two of four this weekend. It'd be nice to go into the Braves series up a game or two. 

[Gugny]

17 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

@ExWNYer @Gugny

 

If I got this right, since the Mets took 4/5 from them the Braves have gone 29-10 (.743). That's similar to what the Yankees were doing earlier this year. Relentless.

 

By way of comparison Mets went 25-17 (.595) since the 4/5. Good not great.

 

Disappointed we couldn't take advantage of the Braves loss to the Nats yesterday. But it would be very helpful for the Phillies to take at least two of four this weekend. It'd be nice to go into the Braves series up a game or two. 

 

Yep.  Mets and Braves have been going toe to toe.  Mets rattle off 6 wins in a row; Braves rattle off five in a row.  Total dogfight.

 

Gotta take care of the Athletics and hope the Braves hit a little skid.

[SinceThe70s]

14 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Yep.  Mets and Braves have been going toe to toe.  Mets rattle off 6 wins in a row; Braves rattle off five in a row.  Total dogfight.by makin

 

Gotta take care of the Athletics and hope the Braves hit a little skid.

 

Only downside to this dogfight is the soft landing both teams get by making the wild card.

 

I'm not complaining, just observing. But if first place was win or go home this would be really intense. 

[SinceThe70s]

Woo-hoo! One up in the loss column - which is the only thing that matters! 

 

Good start to the weekend. 

[ExWNYer]

12 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

@ExWNYer @Gugny

 

If I got this right, since the Mets took 4/5 from them the Braves have gone 29-10 (.743). That's similar to what the Yankees were doing earlier this year. Relentless.

 

By way of comparison Mets went 25-17 (.595) since the 4/5. Good not great.

 

Disappointed we couldn't take advantage of the Braves loss to the Nats yesterday. But it would be very helpful for the Phillies to take at least two of four this weekend. It'd be nice to go into the Braves series up a game or two. 

 

The Natalies win was an unexpected bonus. It's unfortunate that the Mets imploded in the last game against the Brewers. As much as I like Buck, he sometimes worries and confounds me with how he handles the bullpen. It may not have mattered in the 6-0 loss since the offense was so impotent/non-existent but maybe they find a way to scratch across a run or two down the line if it's still a 1-0 or 2-0 game. Buck continues to use the back of the pen guys during high leverage situations and uses Lugo, Ottavino, & Diaz when they aren't always needed. Bringing Drew Smith into a bases loaded situation the other day...fresh off of a two month stint on the IL...was beyond foolish, IMO. Hand to God, I knew Mr. Smith was giving up a grand slam there. I have called him 'Homerun Drew' all year long and he immediately reasserted that belief. He has to be better.   

 

11 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Yep.  Mets and Braves have been going toe to toe.  Mets rattle off 6 wins in a row; Braves rattle off five in a row.  Total dogfight.

 

Gotta take care of the Athletics and hope the Braves hit a little skid.

 

It's been a heavyweight fight and I just hope that those 3 inexcusable losses at home to the Cubs don't end up costing this team a division title and a 1st Round bye. They have looked tired down the stretch and seem to be staggering to the finish line. I just hope they have one more kick left in them to get them over the hump for these final 11 games of the regular season. Getting Guillorme back was big because they have some positional flexibility again that they didn't have while he was on the IL. The DH situation has handcuffed them because Vogelbach (LH) and Ruf (RH) are both one-side hitters with no ability to play the field which has limited the ability to 'rest' other guys by having them DH only for a game or two. Not ideal but that is the reality for this season in Metsland.

 

Honestly, with Bassitt, deGrom, & Scherzer scheduled to go against the A's there is absolutely no excuse not to sweep this series, if the bats decide to contribute to the effort for a change. Oakland is the worst team in the AL and tied with Pittsburgh for the second worst record in the majors behind the rancid Natalies. Six of the Mets final eleven games are against the worst teams in the AL & NL. Gotta get them all and then get the majority of the remaining five against the Marlins & Braves and hope Atlanta can drop one or two along the way outside of the series with the Mets. This series with Philly seems to be the best bet and the Philthies 1-0 win last night was a nice start.

 

11 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Only downside to this dogfight is the soft landing both teams get by making the wild card.

 

I'm not complaining, just observing. But if first place was win or go home this would be really intense. 

 

I hear you but I look at it a little differently. I don't see not winning the division as a soft landing spot. God knows this franchise doesn't make the playoffs much...and a playoff spot is great and shouldn't be taken for granted...but finishing in the Wild Card will feel a little hollow to me unless they go on to win the WS. Atlanta has been chasing all year and to lose the division now with a handful of games to go will leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Not nearly as bad as the collapse to Philadelphia with a 7 game lead and 17 to play (HTF does that happen to anyone other than the Mets??! Don't get me started...) but still bad, IMO. If they win the division, not only would they avoid the extra series but they would not have to face the Dodgers until the NLCS. That is huge. With Scherzer and deGrom having taken turns getting injured and not being 'spring chickens', I'd prefer them as fresh as possible for the post-season.

 

Not to be 'Debbie Downer' but, if they don't win the NL East and/or at least make the NLCS, I consider this year a failure. I know that's a bizarre take to some because you can count on less than one hand the number of 100 win seasons for this franchise but a new, deep-pocketed owner trotting out a team with the highest payroll in the league has raised expectations. That said, I will go on record as saying that I believe the Mets WILL find a way to hang on and win the division. If they can go into that series in Atlanta at least one game up and just take one of the three games, they will be tied in the standings with the Braves but will hold the division tiebreaker by virtue of a 10-9 season series record against them. That would leave the Mets with the final 3 games of the year at home against the Natalies and destiny in their own hands. Lose the division in that scenario and they didn't deserve it anyway. Let's hope it doesn't come to that and...LET'S GO METS!!!

[SinceThe70s]

2 hours ago, ExWNYer said:

 

The Natalies win was an unexpected bonus. It's unfortunate that the Mets imploded in the last game against the Brewers. As much as I like Buck, he sometimes worries and confounds me with how he handles the bullpen. It may not have mattered in the 6-0 loss since the offense was so impotent/non-existent but maybe they find a way to scratch across a run or two down the line if it's still a 1-0 or 2-0 game. Buck continues to use the back of the pen guys during high leverage situations and uses Lugo, Ottavino, & Diaz when they aren't always needed. Bringing Drew Smith into a bases loaded situation the other day...fresh off of a two month stint on the IL...was beyond foolish, IMO. Hand to God, I knew Mr. Smith was giving up a grand slam there. I have called him 'Homerun Drew' all year long and he immediately reasserted that belief. He has to be better.   

 

 

It's been a heavyweight fight and I just hope that those 3 inexcusable losses at home to the Cubs don't end up costing this team a division title and a 1st Round bye. They have looked tired down the stretch and seem to be staggering to the finish line. I just hope they have one more kick left in them to get them over the hump for these final 11 games of the regular season. Getting Guillorme back was big because they have some positional flexibility again that they didn't have while he was on the IL. The DH situation has handcuffed them because Vogelbach (LH) and Ruf (RH) are both one-side hitters with no ability to play the field which has limited the ability to 'rest' other guys by having them DH only for a game or two. Not ideal but that is the reality for this season in Metsland.

 

Honestly, with Bassitt, deGrom, & Scherzer scheduled to go against the A's there is absolutely no excuse not to sweep this series, if the bats decide to contribute to the effort for a change. Oakland is the worst team in the AL and tied with Pittsburgh for the second worst record in the majors behind the rancid Natalies. Six of the Mets final eleven games are against the worst teams in the AL & NL. Gotta get them all and then get the majority of the remaining five against the Marlins & Braves and hope Atlanta can drop one or two along the way outside of the series with the Mets. This series with Philly seems to be the best bet and the Philthies 1-0 win last night was a nice start.

 

 

I hear you but I look at it a little differently. I don't see not winning the division as a soft landing spot. God knows this franchise doesn't make the playoffs much...and a playoff spot is great and shouldn't be taken for granted...but finishing in the Wild Card will feel a little hollow to me unless they go on to win the WS. Atlanta has been chasing all year and to lose the division now with a handful of games to go will leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Not nearly as bad as the collapse to Philadelphia with a 7 game lead and 17 to play (HTF does that happen to anyone other than the Mets??! Don't get me started...) but still bad, IMO. If they win the division, not only would they avoid the extra series but they would not have to face the Dodgers until the NLCS. That is huge. With Scherzer and deGrom having taken turns getting injured and not being 'spring chickens', I'd prefer them as fresh as possible for the post-season.

 

Not to be 'Debbie Downer' but, if they don't win the NL East and/or at least make the NLCS, I consider this year a failure. I know that's a bizarre take to some because you can count on less than one hand the number of 100 win seasons for this franchise but a new, deep-pocketed owner trotting out a team with the highest payroll in the league has raised expectations. That said, I will go on record as saying that I believe the Mets WILL find a way to hang on and win the division. If they can go into that series in Atlanta at least one game up and just take one of the three games, they will be tied in the standings with the Braves but will hold the division tiebreaker by virtue of a 10-9 season series record against them. That would leave the Mets with the final 3 games of the year at home against the Natalies and destiny in their own hands. Lose the division in that scenario and they didn't deserve it anyway. Let's hope it doesn't come to that and...LET'S GO METS!!!

 

Not that I disagree with your other points, but your Guillorme and DH comments were spot on.

 

My soft landing spot comment had more to do with the intensity of the dogfight for first place. I won't count the Mets out if they're a wild card, but it would be a big blow. This season has always been about the health of Jake and Max to me. I still don't have confidence that they'll both last through a long post-season run but getting a bye would be a huge help.  The good news is their pitching is lined up perfectly. They have the big 3 going against the Braves and then they'll be rested for the post season. 

[ExWNYer]

Mets win, Braves lose!! 2.5 up (two in the loss column) with 10 to play. Glad the Philthies decided to put up a fight this series instead of lying down like dogs and getting swept away again in four.

[SinceThe70s]

 

So I check on the score and it's 3-0 Mets. With Jake on the mound I head outside to cover my pool figuring this one's already in the bag and I start thinking that maybe the Braves series won't be that big of a deal. Argh.

[Gugny]

On 9/24/2022 at 5:58 PM, SinceThe70s said:

 

So I check on the score and it's 3-0 Mets. With Jake on the mound I head outside to cover my pool figuring this one's already in the bag and I start thinking that maybe the Braves series won't be that big of a deal. Argh.

 

He looked like he was laboring very early on.  I am concerned ... again.

 

[Another Fan]

I still have confidence in the team and thinking they can win the division.  Thing is the Braves are just a very good team as well.  Defending World Series champs.  I have a feeling that final Sunday game against the Phillies will pay dividends when they came back in extra innings and won.  
 

I looked it up and the 1999 and 2006 Mets won 97 games.  This team has won 97 games already 

[SinceThe70s]

Thought for sure that I was going to bed unhappy last night. Great comeback by the Mets coupled with a surprising loss by the Braves puts us back in the drivers seat ahead of the big weekend series. If you didn't see Escobar's post-game interview check it out:

 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by SinceThe70s

[ExWNYer]

Another disappointing outing by deGrom down the stretch. The rate at which he is allowing HRs all of a sudden is alarming. He needs to be better but, that said, he still allowed only 3 runs and the game was there for the taking. Unfortunately, the limp-d*cked offense was on full display once again and Escobar is the only one with a pulse right now.

 

Scherzer had better find a way to shut down Atlanta and get the 'W' on Saturday or the annual Met choke job will be in its final stages. <sigh> 

[SinceThe70s]

Limping towards the finish line but remarkably the Mets still control their own destiny. Win 4 straight and get a breather or it looks like it will be the Padres next weekend at Citi Field. 

[Another Fan]

23 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

Limping towards the finish line but remarkably the Mets still control their own destiny. Win 4 straight and get a breather or it looks like it will be the Padres next weekend at Citi Field. 

All I wanted was 1 win in Atlanta.  Uggh that series brought back flashbacks of 2001 with Brian Jordan hitting 9th inning HRs.  

 

Pitching wasn't that good but neither was the offense.  I like Canha but he's had a rough couple weeks.  

 

Personally I think Cohen should reimburse the Mets fans that made the trip down.  I was watching that chop when Bassitt got pulled with the lights off even at home and was disgusted.  Sitting in that stadium would have been worse than going to a Patriots bar in Brady/Belichick's heyday 

 

 

[SinceThe70s]

1 hour ago, Another Fan said:

All I wanted was 1 win in Atlanta.  Uggh that series brought back flashbacks of 2001 with Brian Jordan hitting 9th inning HRs.  

 

Pitching wasn't that good but neither was the offense.  I like Canha but he's had a rough couple weeks.  

 

Personally I think Cohen should reimburse the Mets fans that made the trip down.  I was watching that chop when Bassitt got pulled with the lights off even at home and was disgusted.  Sitting in that stadium would have been worse than going to a Patriots bar in Brady/Belichick's heyday 

 

 

 

Depressing three games. We threw our three best pitchers at them and the Braves smacked each of them around.  And for sure, it felt like the Braves beatdowns of the past. Now they have a few days to get their heads straight before the Padres come to town.  

[Another Fan]

4 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Depressing three games. We threw our three best pitchers at them and the Braves smacked each of them around.  And for sure, it felt like the Braves beatdowns of the past. Now they have a few days to get their heads straight before the Padres come to town.  

It shows you how much I’ve paid attention to the playoffs in baseball the last few years.  Is this new three wild card teams?  I just thought it was Mets vs padres and whoever wins moves on 

[SinceThe70s]

40 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

It shows you how much I’ve paid attention to the playoffs in baseball the last few years.  Is this new three wild card teams?  I just thought it was Mets vs padres and whoever wins moves on 

 

Completely different format this year, 12 teams make the playoffs, 4 teams get byes for the wild card round. 3 game wild card round next weekend - lower seeds won't get a home game. Then a 5 game round, a 7 game round and the 7 game World Series. Due to the lock-out there are a lot less off days this post-season so  pitching depth will get tested more.