IGT 09/14/2008 Braves vs. Mets at Shea

[bmfc1]

It was a beautiful afternoon, and then everything has gone to hell in the last half-hour.

[Zvon]

I guess Manuel has forgotten all about that hand the ball off to the next pitcher stuff as Feliciano can't get off the mound fast enough.

[Guest mario25]

There isnt a good reliever in this whole bunch...end of discussion

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Again, he has all of New Orleans out there. Shoe and Feliciano CLEARLY have nothing left. Why is he bringing them in instead of someone fresh?

[Zvon]

Well, we got the big guns up.
A comeback here would be HUGE.

This team has to be able to do this kinda stuff.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I like your optimism and enthusiasm Zvon. Now pass the Koolaid, I need a big swig.

[Frayed Knot]

Why do I foresee a two run inning coming up here?

[Zvon]

lead off singles by Wright and Delgado brings Beltran up with 2 on, no out.

[Frayed Knot]

Jerry does like playing lefty/righty doesn't he?

[Zvon]

Gotta work that pitcher Beltran.
Booth says Braves closer didnt sleep a wink last night.

Beltran pops out.

Church won't bat.

[bmfc1]

Jesus... how can Tatis swing at crap like that.

[Theoldmole]

Unfortunately, I switched back to the Mets.

[bmfc1]

TOM--you got to see them miss a 31 yard field goal. Sports sucks.

[Guest mario25]

This relief corps should really all think about giving up the game.....If the Mets dont totally retool the bullpen next year I would be amazed.

[Benjamin Grimm]

They're committed to Billy Wagner as their 2009 closer, even though they know he won't pitch.

I was surprised to see Castillo bat for himself in the 9th; I was expecting Easley.

Oh well.

I think we should all lower our expectations for this season. It will sting less if the Mets don't make the playoffs, and will be a nice surprise if they do.

That's the approach I'm going to try to take.

[Zvon]

bmfc1 wrote: Jesus... how can Tatis swing at crap like that.

....really.

And Castillo stays in and bats to ground out and end my misery, which really won't end with that last out.

This is another one that got away.
Really should have scored more runs.

Booth said the Mets have blown 27 saves this season.
27.
That is a ridiculous number.
Even if we won only 1/3 of those we'd be cruisin'.

I have no illusions.
I'd like the Mets to make the post season. I'd like that real bad.
But even if they do going deep into it would be a miracle.
Not without a real closer and this erratic bullpen.

[stevejrogers]

Zvon wrote: I have no illusions. I'd like the Mets to make the post season. I'd like that real bad. But even if they do going deep into it would be a miracle. Not without a real closer and this erratic bullpen.

Like the '06 Cardinals actually.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Ass.

[stevejrogers]

No, hopeful. That the same thing can happen.

[Fman99]

Fucking Mets.

[Gwreck]

Picked up a great single (front row, upper box, between third and home) this morning. The rest of the upper box is just "ok," but the front row experience is a premium seat, especially in the opinion of someone who can't afford the field level. Priced the same as the Mezz Reserved, the Upper Boxes seem to generally pale in comparison, except of course for that front row.

(Sadly, the Mets seem to have caught on to the fact that the front row experience -- even in the upper levels -- is a great thing, as they are pricing rows 1-2 of basically *every* section next year higher).

Turns out that picking up the ticket in advance was a good thing, because I saw this when I got to shea:



...which, if nothing else, is a "hey scalpers, raise your prices" sort of announcement. Stadium was of course far from full even if it was announced as a sell-out. I had two empty seats to either side of me.

Anyway, today was "Deaf Awareness Day" at Shea, which several schools for the deaf having large groups of their students in attendance. About an inning and a half into the game, three of them, each about 9 years old, snuck down to the two empty seats to my left, with the third sitting on the stairs. I of course moved over to the box next to me so they could sit in the seats and not get kicked out.

Two of the three of them were deaf, so their friend was very busy providing translation services. They were very taken by the game and had tons of questions to ask -- which I was happy to answer, especially once they revealed that it was their first time at Shea, and wanted to ask me about the first time that *I* had been to see the Mets. They turned out to be equally transfixed by the binoculars I had with me, passing them between the three of them for most of the game.

It was a scorcher today, and what I really wanted to do was to buy them sodas, or ice cream, or something -- especially after they had asked the family behind us a couple of times what the prices were for those concession items. Unfortunately, in today's society, an unaccompanied man buying soda/ice cream for a couple of little kids who are not his own -- or even slipping them the money to do so -- just seemed like asking for trouble.

I thought I saw KC in the front of Loge Reserved behind third base but unfortunately didn't get a chance to get down there and say hi.

Sadly, this was only the third or fourth worst unmitigated bullpen disaster that I had been to this year.

[Guest KC]

Last seat in row A, probably saw the sun reflecting off the chrome dome.

I headed up to the shade later for a few innings with metfairy, fafif, et al
in the mezzanine.

[Guest themetfairy]

Great company.

Lousy game.