Diaz-Brazell Recollection Thread

[G-Fafif]

It was six years ago today that a downtrodden Mets team stood up for itself, ruining the chances of a legitimate contender, and brother, it was fantastic. The Phillies are beyond spoiling, but can they at least be delayed? Braves won today, so there'll be no clinching tonight, but we're not out of the weekend woods yet.

Is there a Victor Diaz or Craig Brazell in this lineup? That's not a pejorative.

Jose Reyes - SS
Chris Carter - LF
Carlos Beltran - CF
David Wright - 3B
Ike Davis - 1B
Angel Pagan - RF
Josh Thole - C
Ruben Tejada - 2B
Dillon Gee - P

Oh, the Nats' loss clinched us fourth place. Yippee.

[Lefty Specialist]

Boy, starters were Mark Prior vs. Aaron Heilman. Seems like 100 years ago.

[G-Fafif]

Just noticed this thread came two minutes after the other. Repurposed!

[Guest sharpie]

I was at that game. Schoolteacher friend had tix to what were really the worst seats at Shea. Furthest away section in right field way up. Of course there were plenty of empty seats. Amazing game.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I was also at that game with retired CPF legend Salamander Q. We were surrounded by Cubs fans whose beer-fueled celebratory anticipation had gone just a little past my point of comfort. It was one time in my life where I wanted to say NOT IN MY HOUSE!

And man, did we Shut. Their. Faces.

BOO-yah! (may have been the one time I was ever moved to say that too).

[G-Fafif]

I was the guest of a Cubs fan, a really nice, older guy who was in town for the series (uncle by marriage to a good friend; I'd never met him before that day but he invited me at my friend's suggestion). As the game ground down, and it was 2004, I muttered in my mind that, yeah, I guess this is OK -- if we have to lose to the effing Cubs, at least a fine and loyal fan like this will get a little happiness where the playoff picture is concerned.

But then they don't get the third out, Diaz hits the homer and OMG -- I'm up on my feet and cheering and thinking "I feel really bad about this, pal, but I loved the Mets and hated the Cubs before I ever met you." I had to leave after nine -- had to meet the wife in the city -- but was strangely unbothered by the lack of resolution. If the Mets went on and lost, I'd have been pissed (geez, so many Cubs fans there). If the Mets won, no way I would have contained my glee, and my host was already miserable and I would have felt guilty for the laughing I would have done in his face. On my way out of Shea, however, I did kind of laugh in the face of a random Cubs fan (never mind we were dead standingswise; spoiling is spoling).

Listened as long as I could on the E. When I next resumed radio transmission and heard what happened, I was over the moon. Didn't matter that I didn't see it. Didn't matter that I didn't hear it as it happened. The point was it happened. The first 8+ innings were so depressing and this was so exhilarating. I was so thrilled that when I met up with Mrs. Fafif, we rerouted to P.J. Clarke's, and what should they have on tap? Rheingold! Had to be the last time I saw it anywhere in the entire Metropolitan area (it relaunched in the late '90s but was already fizzling out). Last time I drank it, too. Ran up quite a dinner check that night, didn't feel it at all.

[MFS62]

I was at that game. A businessman rented out a luxury box for about 25 people. (Funny, we haven't seem him since.)
Later

[metsmarathon]

so was i!