My Best Day

[Edgy MD]

I'm David Aardsma, 2013 Met. And I'm at the point in my career that some of my best outings --- multiple innings, a handful of strikeouts --- are going to come while throwing garbage innings in games where the outcome seemed in little doubt before I entered. That's not the way it is in a season packed with extra-inning games, though. I think my best job was July 8 in San Francisco. After nine innings, the game is tied at three, and they turn to... ME!

Matt Harvey walked off with the PotG award, as he always does, but voters gave me 0.78 ounces as well, and that ain't nothing. I whiffed pinch hitter Nick Noonan swinging, and then the lineup turned over and I got Gregor Blanco looking. Just when it seems none of these World Champs can touch me, Marco Scutaro puts one in the hole between third and short, but Wright reaches over and makes the play with grace and aplomb.

The Mets know they're on to something good, so they send me back out for a second inning to face the Giants' big bats. Brandon Belt? He goes down swinging. Buster Posey, he pops one to short right center... which unfortunately falls for a lucky-assed double. I walk the panda (which isn't an Irish expression, but it should be), get Pence on a liner to right, and then they send Scott Rice out to get the lefty for last out, because that's what Rice does.

By the time the Mets pull ahead on an error in the 16th and hold on for the win, my mastery is a distant memory. BUT IT HAPPENED!

Hey! Rick Ankiel! You were a 2013 Met too! I'm serious, you totally were!!

What was your best day?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Brightening an overcast getaway day with an RBI double in the first, to give the home team the lead (its first in the series). Stepping up with another two-bagger in the third. Then, after a few innings of studly center-field patrol, Latos gives me one middle-out on a 1-1 count in the seventh; I turn it into a Murphscoring triple, to pick up Batman on a rare off-day and knock out Blondie. We lost when Parnell pooped himself in the ninth, but, hey-- I did my part.



I mean, I'm biased, so I may be totally, frighteningly off-the-plate on this assessment, but to me? THAT is a choice day, friend-o.

Now, this Andrew Brown guy... he got twice the ABs that I've got, and he never had a day like I had... or did he?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hi, I'm Andrew Brown, you might remember me from such memorable games as "Pinch-hit 3-run homer sinks Arizona" and "solo pinch-hit homer ties game against Braves" but my greatest role was "Sunflower Shower" -- a magnificent 13-inning, 5-4 home win over Arizona on July 1.

Maybe you recall that one. Our club rallied with single runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th to tie it at 4-4, only to fall behind in the 13th when Aardsma up there gave up a homer to Cody Ross. I remember that one because I stood there uselessly in left as it sailed over my head and into the seats. I had no chance!

But we rallied in the bottom of the inning off Josh Collmenter. That was the game when Qualcomm Harvey was used as a pinch hitter and got down a bunt, putting the tying and winning runs into scoring position with one out. The Dbaggs then walked Quinty intentionally to get to me. But with an 0-2 count I crushed one into the LCF gap scoring Satin and Buck for a 5-4 win.


I escaped a piesmash when my teammates instead showered me with sunflower seeds. What a great day to be Brown. But what about Black? Tell us, Vic.

[Gwreck]

Vic Black had a nice September 24 in Cincinnati. Pitched the ninth inning to seal a Mets win over the Reds; struck out two batters (albeit one reached on a wild pitch) before ending the game by retiring the potential winning run on a ground ball double play. My first major league save.

I also figured out that my teammates Rick Ankiel and Andrew Brown aren't the greatest spellers. What did you do this year, Scott Atchison?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Hey, remember that one game? That one, where I started out a little shaky, ran a little long, maybe walked a guy or gave up a bleeder? Remember how I bore down, and ended up working my way out of it, freezing a couple of guys en route with cheese? You know the game I'm talking about, right? THAT one. Oh, come on, really? You... I mean... you have to know which one I'm talking about. Oh, for fu--



Oh, fine, the save. Travie gives a nice hug.

So, okay, maybe some of my days blurred into each other a little, if you weren't paying attention, so-called fan. But what about another guy who's had a lot of the same, Mr. Scott Rice?

[G-Fafif]

Hi, I'm longtime Mets PR director Jay Horwitz. Just to help you 2013 Mets out, I thought I'd provide an alphabetical listing of you guys if that's what you're going for here.

David Aardsma
Rick Ankiel
Scott Atchison
Mike Baxter
Vic Black

Andrew Brown
John Buck
Greg Burke
Marlon Byrd
Tim Byrdak

Robert Carson
Juan Centeno
Collin Cowgill
Travis d'Arnaud
Ike Davis

Matt den Dekker
Lucas Duda
Josh Edgin
Jeurys Familia
Pedro Feliciano

Wilmer Flores
Frank Francisco
Dillon Gee
Gonzalez Germen
Aaron Harang

Matt Harvey
LaTroy Hawkins
Jeremy Hefner
Sean Henn
Aaron Laffey

Juan Lagares
Zach Lutz
Brandon Lyon
Shaun Marcum
Daisuke Matsuzaka

Collin McHugh
Jennry Mejia
Daniel Murphy
Jonathon Niese
Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Bobby Parnell
Omar Quintanilla
Anthony Recker
Scott Rice
Josh Satin

Ruben Tejada
Carlos Torres
Wilfredo Tovar
Justin Turner
Jordany Valdespin

Zack Wheeler
David Wright
Eric Young

Nobody asked me, but my best day of 2013 was August 23, when I got my own bobblehead. It was Dice-K's debut and he sucked but c'mon...my own bobblehead! Not quite anatomically correct in the sense that the head was proportional to the body, but still, pretty good for the PR guy.

[G-Fafif]

Hey, Mike "Bax" Baxter here, obviously forgotten about again, except by Jay Horwitz, whose picture I kept next to my bed growing up in Whitestone. I've had it with you fuckers constantly overlooking my presence on this team. I've been here three years and every September you're still all "here, rook, put on this chick outfit, all the rooks gotta do it," and as much as I enjoy homophobic/misogynistic team-building exercises, I keep trying to tell you I got here in 2011 and have been driving in big runs off the bench ever since. Oh, and I saved this franchise's only no-hitter and paid for it with two months on the Disabled List. But no, just skip all the way to goddamn Scott Rice like he's some kind of novelty because he's almost as old as Scott Atchison but never pitched in the big leagues before. Same fuckers who sent me down to Las Vegas with Ike, because I happened to be standing next to him after that 20-inning debacle in June and it was just assumed I sucked just as much.

You want my best day? I'll give you my best day: May 9, Pirates, Citi Field, I come up in the bottom of the ninth and drive in the winning run off Jason Grilli, whose ass is getting kissed all over this postseason. Remember when the Mets were supposed to beat the Pirates? That might have been the last time and I did it -- me, Mike Baxter! It was my second walkoff hit of the week, but the first one was almost besides the point of the game it won, so I'm going with this one.

Now I'm taking my goddamn Jay Horwitz bobblehead and...aw, c'mon, who took my Jay? You guys suck.

John Buck is probably supposed to go next, though he might be busy being in actual playoffs and all.

[Edgy MD]

Jeezy peezy guys! You're big leaguers! Don't make me read the alphabet to you!

Good job, Baxie. Do me a favor and try and get Buck on the phone. I'll find your bobble.

[Lefty Specialist]

Hi, I'm John Buck, and this was my best day EVER.

[Centerfield]

The offseason stinks, but I love the creative writing that is generated here.

[Edgy MD]

Well, jump on board, because I don't think Atchy has shared yet.

[Centerfield]

Hi. I'm Scott Atchison. My best day? Wow, let me see. I've had so many great games and moments throughout this season, it's hard to pick just one. But isn't that always the case for middle relievers with an ERA in the mid-fours, who miss big chunks of the season with numbness?

I guess if I had to pick just one, I'd pick August 6 against the Rockies. We won 3-2, largely in part to my scoreless inning of relief. I struck out 2, picked up the win. You guys might remember this as the night Eric Young scored from second on an infield single, but for me, this was my Best Day.

Or maybe not. I'm all about the team you know, so maybe I'm forgetting a better day.

Ok. I think Terry's signalling for Greg Burke. Been great talking guys.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Hi, I'm John Buck, and this was my best day EVER.

Who tags their gifs with a Twitter handle?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

MetsKevin11, that's who.

God, Buck is such a dick.

[G-Fafif]

While it is true that I like to smash a good towel in an effusive teammate's face now and then, my best day playing was way the fuck back on April 6, first weekend of the season, when I drove in four runs against one of my many former clubs, the Marlins. Gave us a lead with a two-run double off their only only real pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, and capped the three-run rally that put those bastards away in the eighth. I was smokin' throughout April. Totally gave me immunity for sucking until I was traded at the end of August. Good times. Not as good as what's going on in Pittsburgh, but individually it was pretty happening.

Well, I gotta go. Playoffs and all that. Hey, you know who has plenty of time to chime in on this "best day" jazz? My old buddy, Greg Burke.

Only kidding about that "old buddy" stuff. Couldn't pick him out of a lineup of exhausted quadruple-A sidearmers if I tried.

[Lefty Specialist]

Well, John, your wife and I are glad you're still playing. We use whipped cream too, if you catch my drift. And sidearming is a skill she appreciates.



Hi, I'm Greg Burke. They say that any ballplayer's best day is that day they're called up to the bigs. So I guess for me that best day is May 13th, June 22nd, July 5th, August 21st and September 9th. I spent more time in the Las Vegas airport than the slot machines. It's hard having to reintroduce yourself to the cocktail waitresses at the Bellagio every month. But I digress.

From a pure stat perspective, it'd be hard to beat May 17th, when I got my only 'hold' in an eventual 3-2 win over the Cubs. I mean, that's pretty much it. 1/3 of an inning, and nobody was killed, which I view as a positive. My 5.68 ERA, 0-3 record and the team's 7-24 record in games in which I appeared made many wonder, "why is he here, exactly?" But by the time they'd ask the question, I was already safely ensconced in my coach seat on Southwest Airlines, a major league paycheck burning a hole in my pocket as the craps table and a good belt of scotch on the rocks awaited.

[Edgy MD]

Marlon Byrd has more to draw from than that...

[Zvon]

This is a great thread. I'm not good with words. Maybe I'll do one using only images.

[G-Fafif]

The Byrd here. Can't talk long 'cause I'm busy preparing myself for the opener of the NLDS vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. That's some playoff baseball in case you're not familiar with the nomenclature. I wasn't until this year. Man, it's the best.

Because I remain quite fond of y'all back in the Q (that's Queens -- does anybody actually call it the Q?), I won't say my big day was getting traded out of nowhere and into a pennant race. I'm gonna remember with warmth that makeup game in Colorado, June 27. I basically won that game myself, with a two-run homer of Matt Belisle in the eighth and a throw cutting down Michael Cuddyer at second in the ninth. We won, 3-2, and that was basically my doing.

And you know why I did it? Preparation. I don't just throw that word around like it's a 9-6 assist. Next day TC was talking about me at his pregame presser, which is usually a Festival of Alibis, but in this case he was lauding me for practicing those throws. Singled me out, indicating nobody else on the team prepared the way I do. Makes me wonder if everybody else on the Mets did if they wouldn't have finished stronger. I mean actually stronger, not Sandy Alderson's weak-ass version of ".500 in our last 100 games" stronger.

Water under the Roberto Clemente Bridge now. Gotta go. If anybody sees Tim Byrdak, tell him he's next. We never actually met, but I hear he's an OK dude.

[Edgy MD]

That was a good choice from a festival of good choices.

[Edgy MD]

Hi, I'm Tim Byrdak. I like to horse around --- jumping about and pretending I'm Hulk Hogan, and drawing a little attention to myself and my small shadow of a public profile. But if there's one thing I'm serious about, it's holding on to the last fibers of my big league career for dear life. That's why I spent the first five months of the season rehabbing, all the while secretly sabotaging the health of my fellow rehabbing LOOGy Pedro Felciiano. The guy's my hero and all, but I just felt I had get on the field before he did. Don't tell him, OK?

Best days? Emotionally, sure, getting on the field finally. I lived to get back, and crossing that magic tenure line to get my hands on the golden ticket --- the lifetime pass to MLB baseball games... sweet!

But here's the deal --- I really wasn't helping much. I mean, a guy returns for the last month, and only appears in eight games, and in those eight games totals 4 2/3 innings pitched --- he's not exactly carrying the team. But wait, there's more! A 7.71 ERA! A .357 batting average against! Three homers!! All for a guy who has his spots handpicked for him!! Did you know that in the eight games I appeared in, my team was 0-8? It's true! Not exactly what the Mets were hoping for in exchange for a million smackeroos.

Good days? Those suckers have been hard to come by.

The best day --- best of an admittedly mostly sorry lot --- I'll have to say, was my last one. September 26. We had the Brewers, and I came on to throw the seventh in relief of Dillon Gee with the team down 4-1. I pitched in some real slopfests in my brief season of 2013, but this one was still in doubt. I face Halton, Aoki, and Gennet, and while I frankly am unsure of who at least two of those guys are, I retired the disappointed Beer Barons in order. The Mets' likelhood of winning improved from 9% to 16%. That was something to take with me as I walked off the field, frankly for the last time, I suspect.

The next guy's happy story can't possibly be a sad as mine, can it? Let's see who's up next... Burke, Byrd, Byrdak... Carson.

Oh, dear.

[dinosaur jesus]

Byrdak here again. I just wanted to tell you folks about another special day for me. It didn't happen this year. In fact, it was a long time ago now. But it's something I remember every time I go out there to the mound. It isn't special because it was a good day. In fact, it was about the worst day of my life. My baseball life, anyway.

It's 2003. I'm 29, washed up as a major leaguer, pitching for Gary in the Northern League because, hell, it's baseball, and I'm a baseball player. And Gary is close to home. So we're playing in St. Paul, I'm starting, and the first batter up is some old guy. I mean old. They told me later it was Minnie Minoso, who was playing in the Negro Leagues when Jackie Robinson got called up, and the reason it was Robinson and not him was that they wanted someone younger. So the guy is like 105, he's leaning on his bat like it's a cane, and when he finally gets to the plate he tries to take a practice swing, except he gets stuck part way through, so our catcher has to help him put the bat back on his shoulder. But I figure, I�m getting paid to get this guy out, even if he did use to pal around with fucking Abner Doubleday. So I throw him a couple of my best sliders, a good hard fastball up and in, a curve away. He couldn�t have hit that stuff even if he could swing the bat. Well, he might be older than Babe Ruth�s Sunday school teacher, but he�s still got that good eye, you know? So I walked him. Fine. I�ve walked lots of guys. But you should have heard the people laughing and cheering, like he�d just won the damn World Series. And the other bench, they were yelling stuff at me like, �You couldn�t get your own grandmother out!� Which is definitely not true, because Grandma hits the breaking stuff okay, but she can�t get around on the fastball anymore. And it made me mad. Christ, I was boiling. Those St. Paul batters didn't have a chance after that. Minoso's next time up, they sent in a pinch hitter, because they knew I'd have put him on his ass. So I won that game. The next game, I'm still mad, and I blew them away in that one too. So that winter I get a call from the Padres, the next year I'm back in Triple A, the year after that I'm on the mound in Baltimore, back in the big leagues after five years, striking out Aaron Boone and Travis Hafner in my very first inning. Eight years later I'm still here. And I'll tell you why: because every time I'm out there with the game on the line, when I need a little extra, I just look in at the batter and imagine he's Minnie Minoso.

And now, folks, get ready for the Carson Show. Here's Bobby! Christ, how old do I have to be to make that joke? As old as Minnie Minoso.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

[Not Pictured]

I guess if you're talking about black-and-whites, my best day may just have been April 29, when I took the ball from Matt Harvey (They took out Matt Harvey! For me!) with one out and two on in the sixth, got Rob Brantly (The Rob Brantly!) to pop out to center, and handed off a clean outing to Atchy. We lost, but, hey, I did something, and I left the game slightly better than I found it (.078 WPA!), and that's something. In this day and age, that's a rare thing, really. Well, it is for me, at least, because I'm not very good at pitching a baseball.

You know who's better at handling the whole pitching thing? Juan Centeno. And I'm not just making a cute segueway-- he's actually better at pitching a baseball than I am. But, then again, so do a lot of people. I try not to let it bother me, because if I did, I'd probably be on my third stroke by this point, instead of just anticipating my first, any day now. But yeah, he catches, mostly. Pretty well, too. But heck, like most days, I've stuck around too long. I'll let him tell you about his work. Juan?

[Guest themetfairy]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: [Not Pictured]

Oh come on man - everyone deserves a picture!

[Lefty Specialist]

Dios mio, it's my turn.



Hola, I'm Juan Centeno. My best day was my first day starting in the bigs, September 18th. Don't get me wrong, I finished the season with a .300 batting average, but my first day was special. I got my first major league hit early on; they took it out of play and Recker sat on it and farted all night; he knew he wasn't playing so he had one of those salami and black pepper ham sandwiches from Mama's of Corona. The smell still lingers as I sit here fondling the baseball in my offseason fortress of solitude. But that's okay, I know my place and I was just glad to be there.

The best part, though was the bottom of the ninth. Coming in, we were losing to the Giants 4-1, but we'd already scored a run to make in 4-2 and had runners first and third. Sergio Romo gave me a pitch I could handle and hit it deep in the shortstop hole. I beat it to first for my only major league RBI. But then, just as my joy is unrestrained, who comes trotting out of the dugout? Anthony Recker himself, reeking of salami, oil and vinegar, to pinch-run for me. No matter, the Mets go on to win 5-4, scoring 4 in the ninth, and my '1' under the RBI column can never be erased. In the walkoff post-game dogpile I give Recker a good squeeze around the midsection and I'm pretty sure he pooped his pants. All in all, a pretty good day.

[Edgy MD]

Collin Cowgill, can you top that?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I can name that tune in 4 notes.

Opening Day.
Grand Slam.

Your turn, Travis d'Arnaud.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Everybody's best day, Schaefer-wise:

Aardsma, David	6/14/2013	1.03
Ankiel, Rick	5/22/2013	3.09
Atchison, Scott	8/3/2013	1.74
Baxter, Mike	5/9/2013	1.96
Black, Vic	9/15/2013	0.74
Brown, Andrew	8/11/2013	2.55
Buck, John	7/6/2013	3.16
Burke, Greg	4/7/2013	1.14
Byrd, Marlon	6/27/2013	3.68
Byrdak, Tim	9/2/2013	0.59
Carson, Robert	4/23/2013	1.25
Centeno, Juan	9/18/2013	1.16
Cowgill, Collin	4/1/2013	2.17
d'Arnaud, Travis	9/15/2013	2.07
Davis, Ike	6/2/2013	3.11
den Dekker, Matt	9/10/2013	1.49
Duda, Lucas	9/13/2013	3.43
Edgin, Josh	7/12/2013	1.40
Familia, Jeurys	4/26/2013	1.46
Feliciano, Pedro	9/25/2013	0.67
Flores, Wilmer	8/10/2013	2.45
Francisco, Frank	9/23/2013	0.62
Gee, Dillon	5/30/2013	5.26
Germen, Gonzalez	7/20/2013	2.15
Harang, Aaron	9/28/2013	3.40
Harvey, Matt	5/7/2013	5.94
Hawkins, LaTroy	6/20/2013	1.38
Hefner, Jeremy	4/30/2013	4.97
Henn, Sean	9/9/2013	0.18
Laffey, Aaron	4/7/2013	0.08
Lagares, Juan	8/6/2013	2.79
Lutz, Zach	9/18/2013	1.29
Lyon, Brandon	5/20/2013	1.00
Marcum, Shaun	6/26/2013	5.22
Matsuzaka, Daisuke	9/25/2013	5.07
Mejia, Jenrry	7/26/2013	4.00
Murphy, Daniel	7/26/2013	3.99
Niese, Jon	8/27/2013	6.00
Nieuwenhuis, Kirk	7/5/2013	4.37
Parnell, Bobby	7/7/2013	1.56
Quintanilla, Omar	6/4/2013	2.45
Recker, Anthony	6/18/2013	2.18
Rice, Scott	5/19/2013	1.48
Satin, Josh	9/18/2013	3.06
Tejada, Ruben	4/28/2013	1.91
Torres, Carlos	7/23/2013	3.98
Tovar, Wilfredo	9/22/2013	1.12
Turner, Justin	8/9/2013	2.50
Valdespin, Jordany	5/1/2013	2.95
Wheeler, Zack	7/10/2013	4.09
Wright, David	4/16/2013	3.54
Young, Eric	9/29/2013	2.30

[MFS62]

Since I work late and don't get to see the games, I don't feel it would be right to participate in the voting just based on the box score and in-game threads. So I don't follow the Schaeffer game voting threads.
It looks like most of the top single day winners were starting pitchers.
Has that been typical in past years?

Later

[Gwreck]

Travis here.

Reviewing the situation: It'd be fair to say I didn't really have a very good start to my major league career. Sure, I'm pretty good at framing pitches and my defense is solid but that's a fairly steady thing and not one that shows up in spades on any particular day.

I guess I did have two hits and caught Dillon Gee's complete game victory on September 21 in Philadelphia. Rain-shortened? Who cares.

---

Ike? Your season wasn't total shit, right? You must've had one good day in there somewhere...right?