IGT 06/13, Mets at Dodgers

[Guest Edgy DC]

Frayed Knot wrote: Batting LoDuca #2 is quickly becoming the fans' favorite red herring. I don't have an ojection to it but when you get 8 hits (7 singles) over two games and Green in the 2-slot has several of them who bats in what order isn't going to make a difference.

No doubt. But I get off on him making people labor before Beltran gets up.

I don't actually think Chad Lowe's absence has made a difference for Hillary either.

David Wright goes down.

[Frayed Knot]

Why do you persist in repeating the myth that LoDuca makes pitchers work?
He sees fewer pitches that most.

[Frayed Knot]

cleonjones11 wrote: I think the lockeroom chemistry aint good.

Wow, a fan blaming a losing streak on a lack of chemistry.
Usually you have to go to a bar stool to get this type of in-depth analysis.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's not a myth that he doesn't swing and miss.

Why read what I said like that? Making pitchers work isn't necessarily taking called strikes.

[Guest cleonjones11]

Frayed Knot wrote: ="cleonjones11"]I think the lockeroom chemistry aint good. Wow, a fan blaming a losing streak on a lack of chemistry. Usually you have to go to a bar stool to get this type of in-depth analysis.

Kind of ironic your photo is of Mr. Chemistry George Foster

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

These Mets are killing me. Up too late 3 nights in a row, only to be kicked in the balls.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'd rather not answer for crackpots on the radio. The only notion behind returning Lo Duca is to hope that a struggling offense can benefit by returning a guy whose talent seems to lend itself to OBP to the top of the lineup and a guy whose talent seems to lend itself to SLG to the middle.

I think I made it clear I was fishing.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Easley, I'm kicking your ass with my mind.

[Gwreck]

Throwing in the towel, putting Wagner in the game in the 8th so he gets an inning of work.

[Frayed Knot]

When did 'Sweet Caroline' become the official 8th inning song of MLB?
They're playing it in Dodger stadium now.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wow. I must hate myself.

[Gwreck]

Good, they deserve it.

Edit: The Dodgers re: Sweet Caroline, not Edgy. He doesn't deserve that. None of us do.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

At this point, what do you do to stop this free fall?

Something dramatic, like firing the hitting coach?

Trade for an outfielder? I don't think Alou is coming back. The don't even seem to know what's wrong with him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

You can fire a hitting coach or hire a fitting coach, but I'm a little more interested in Randolph's own fire-lighting ability.

I can't imagine how changing coaches mid-season is supposed to help a team. Are the hitters all supposed to change their approach mid-course?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Kerflutz.

[Guest cleonjones11]

Tell LoDuca to stop beiting on the enemy

This too shall pass..Long road trip

I've said it before but we need a corner OF bopper..They will become available. Methinks Moises might do the insurance settlement retire thing.

Beltran is the Chairman of the bored....Whole team looks bored, drunk or both...

MFY's this weekend...nutz

[DocTee]

Get Adam Dunn. Now.

[metirish]

I don't know if Dunn is the answer but the Mets scored only four runs in the series,some of our best hitters look lost.

Billy Wagner said this after the game....

] "We caused a lot of our own problems, but right now they're very good," Wagner said."They played outstanding baseball and we made them look better with our sloppy play and lackadaisical efforts.

Lack of effort is the worst.

[Guest iramets]

This is where having a manager would help.

[Benjamin Grimm]

From my outside-looking-in perspective, I think that that's been Willie's strength: keeping the team loose and focused.

But he obviously hasn't been getting that done lately. Maybe they're too loose and not focused enough. I didn't see or read it, but the other night Gary Cohen mentioned an article by Marty Noble on Mets.com that said the the Mets were laughing in the shower while Tom Glavine was facing the press after his miserable outing in Detroit. And Ron Darling then said something about how he used to get pissed off if the club was having a good time after a bad loss.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

In WWSB's defense he didn't let a 5-game losing streak to begin his careeer screw the team up. My fear is that no amount of managing is going to cure Beltran's quad or make Delgado young again.

[Guest iramets]

Well, when everyone's hitting and pitching well, a manager isn't much use. Write the lineup card, BS with reporters, pat people on the ass, call your middle relievers in in innings 5-7, call Heilman in the 8th and Wagner in the ninth, and pinchhit your 48 year old when you have men on base in the late innings with the pitcher up. A smart collie could do it well.

But when the shit hits the fan, you need a manager, you need someone who knows who to sit down, who to speak quietly to, who to scream at...this is what I think is Willie's weakest suit. Well, that and actually , you know, in-game managing.

People who like reminding me of Willie's won-lost record, as if that trumps any point I try to make about his lack of managerial skills: How's that w-l record looking now, over the last 10 games? Do you want him fired now? Or doesn't the w-l record count any more?

[A Boy Named Seo]

Here's some pics from that shitty game. Completely awesome day right up until the Mets got ass-hammered.

I got there with my neighbor Sarah really early (the stadium gates were closed and we had to wait on the hill to get in). She had to sound-check at 6:00, so we got there about 4:45 or thereabouts and waited to get in. The bus made it through gnarly 5 o'clock traffic on the 101 like a true champion. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really scared it might overheat.





We parked and found a couple more of our neighbors, Martin and Damien, brothers from Ireland. Martin's lived in the LBC 7 years, Damien's been visiting for 2 weeks and this was his first baseball game. He said it was like rounders whatever the hell that is. Both really awesome dudes who got on the jumbotron doing this crazy thumbs-up dance. Those guys were a hoot.

Anyway, here's a pre-game warmup shot in Marty's truck. Mmm, canned Budweiser...



The empty Dodger Stadium parking lot... "Think Blue".





We got to tour the underbelly of the stadium which takes you past all the offices. This was the coolest thing that caught my eye, though:



We then cruised up to the press booth. This was the long row of seats for newspaper writers. The SNY booth and Vin Scully's booth were to our left so I didn't catch a glimpse of any of those guys. At the far end of the press booth is where the organist, Nancy Bea Hefley does her thing. I got to meet her and her husband (pictured to her right - Edit: make that her left, who apparently goes with her to every game). They were two really sweet people who'd just celebrated their 50th anniversary a week or two before.

They gave Sarah some wireless earbuds and she did her first run-through there. That was the first time I'd heard her sing and she is a bad-ass.



After that we went down to the field. Straight behind home plate so she could do another run-through with the PA in her ear and get a feel for that.



The Mets last group was doing BP (Castro, Franco, Easley, another guy maybe). It was crazy to be that close and my first instinct when seeing these guys so familiar right in front of you is to say "what up", and then you remember you don't actually know them and you feel like a dork for staring.

Anyway, I think I took a few more, but these were the only ones I was sent. Maury Wills cruised by and Willie was really excited to see him. He stopped watching BP to chat him up a bit. Here's Willie and Sandy Alomar with Maury, Sandy clearly not too proud to ask for an autograph.





BP finished, they did the first pitch, and then the kid belted out the anthem, opera style. Even better than the run-throughs.









Then I got to hang with the star for a bit.



As we walked off the field, we went past the Dodger dugout. Those were some cool guys, all congratulating her and telling how great she did. Then they went out and kicked the Mets asses. Jerks.

After we got to the seats, I changed from my nondescript black t-shirt to my jersey. Didn't want her to get booed singing on account of me (Damien behind us).



I caught some ribbing from a half dozen or so guys next to us, but they ended up being very cool, all of them. This one's Roy, I think. Or something.



Here's the view from the seats. Stamped "VIP" on the ticket, but not Swank or Seinfeld real estate. Killer just the same.



A win would've been nice, but what are you gonna do.

Post game sad face:

[Elster88]

That's great stuff Seo.

[Guest iramets]

Seo cool.

[seawolf17]

What a cool experience! Nice photos.