G-Fafif

Twins lead early. Nobody trusts them.

Nobody is winning this series, which can be interpreted as they're both a bunch of bleeping losers.

Astros seem to be making the most of their matinee.

The great Steve Rushin, in the once great Sports Illustrated, recently explored WTF with the Twins sucking (until now) vs this distasteful opponent. https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/09/20/new-york-yankees-minnesota-twins-cursehttps://www.si.com/mlb/2019/09/20/new-york-yankees-minnesota-twins-curse As those two teams await the 2019 playoffs and another possible matchup, Minnesotans are keenly aware (as New Yorkers are not) that the Twins have lost a record 13 consecutive postseason games, an ignominious distinction they share with the Yankees' more famous rivals, the Red Sox. Minnesota's last playoff win was at the old Yankee Stadium on Oct. 5, 2004, in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Of the 13 losses that have followed, all but three—a sweep by the A's in the '06 ALDS—were to the Yankees, most recently in the '17 wild-card game. For almost the entire 21st century the Bronx Bombers have had Minnesota's number, and that number is still stored in a Nokia flip phone. The Yankees' inexplicable domination in this century began very differently in the last one. In 1964, a recent graduate of George Washington High in Washington Heights—a Panamanian national then playing for a sandlot team in the Bronx called the N.Y. Cavaliers—traveled a couple of miles across the Harlem River to work out for the Twins at Yankee Stadium. After just a few swings Minnesota officials bundled the 19-year-old out of sight, lest he be seen by a Yankees executive with a fat book of blank checks. They spirited Rodney Cline Carew to an Italian restaurant in the Bronx, the Stella D'Oro, across from the breadstick factory of the same name, and signed the second baseman on the spot. It was a bank heist in broad daylight, and one for which there would be disproportionate karmic payback.

Dear Minnesota, You know the way you've been vis-a-vis the MFYs? Don't be that way. Thanks and great luck, CPF

Astros and Rays in the battle to backstop the Twins.

Fuck this matchup, too.

Happier Braves lost than I am disdainful Cardinals won.

It HAS to be JD. 2000: Mora, or Timo? Mora's Dark Horse year was 1999. Today was his day. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2009/09/22/baseballs-most-magical-date/Still is.

=LWFS post_id=23658 time=1570127794 user_id=84] I didn't imagine him staying on this mortal coil much longer, never mind the Met dugout

The bench coach who was gonna help Mickey won't help the next guy -- or be the next guy.

I came to sort of admire him as his tenure neared his end -- not enough to feel we're missing out on a great thing by dismissing him, but kind of seeing the better aspects of what he brought to the table. I watched him from the back of the room when he met the press after arguably the greatest win of his two years, the night they beat the Nationals 7-6 after trailing 6-3 in the ninth. He was absolutely calm after the explosion of emotion on the field. That was what being a manager called for. Let the players celebrate. Mickey was always confident in them (or that was the impression he conveyed). He said something about having basically no life outside the ballpark, taking his meals there and going home late at night and coming back early the next day. I'm not sure what that says other than maybe the food is pretty good at the job. The blowup with Tim Healey was absolutely absurd. The condoning of Cano's jogging was ridiculous. His inability to articulate a Diaz usage policy was indicative of a guy who didn't really know what to do or how to say it. And this was in the season when he was better at managing than he was the year before. I do believe the players played hard while he managed, but I don't know if that translates to "played hard for Mickey." If they're quality players and quality people, they'll play hard when the next guy is there.

In the fall of 2017, if we were told this Callaway guy is going to get the Mets off to a sizzling start in his first year, like ten games above .500 immediately, and have them finishing super strong in his second year, like twenty games above .500 after the All-Star break, we'd believe ourselves to have been catapulted into Davey Johnson territory. Sadly, the middle of what became a limited tenure told the more telling tale.

Release... METS RELIEVE MICKEY CALLAWAY OF HIS DUTIES FLUSHING, N.Y., October 3, 2019 – The New York Mets today announced that they have relieved Manager Mickey Callaway of his duties, effective immediately. “We want to thank Mickey for his consistent work ethic and dedication over the last two seasons and I'm certain these characteristics will serve him well in his next opportunity,” Mets Executive Vice President & General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen said. “A decision like this is never easy, however, we believe it is in the best interest of the franchise at this time.” Callaway posted a 163-161 (.503) record during his two seasons with the Mets. Callaway was named the Mets 21st manager in club history on October 23, 2017.

Officially relieved of his duties.

Td'A knows how to win, communicates that ability to his teammates.

The Mets did win one more final game on their schedule in a walkoff, but because they were so successful in doing so, it no longer stood as the final game on their schedule: twenty years ago tomorrow, October 3, 1999, Game 162, Shea Stadium, Mets 1 Pirates 1, bases loaded, one out, bottom of the ninth, Mike Piazza at the plate, Brad Clontz pitching and...well, let's let Gary Cohen tell the rest. Well, the hope for the Pirates is they get Piazza to hit a ground ball at an infielder who would be able to turn a double play and get through the inning. The infield will play halfway. The outfield will play only as deep as they can throw, a fly ball will win the game, with Mora standing at third base. Alfonzo at second, Olerud at first. Piazza stands in, oh-for-four on the afternoon. Clontz is ready to go, pitching off the stretch. DEALS to Piazza. Low and outside, IT GETS AWAY! ONTO THE SCREEN! MORA SCORES! THE METS WIN IT! THE METS WIN IT! Mora is MOBBED by his teammates as he crosses home plate! Brad Clontz BOUNCED the first pitch up onto the SCREEN! Melvin Mora scores the winning RUN! The Mets win in game number one-hundred sixty-TWO, and the Mets will play again in Nineteen Ninety-NINE! The Mets win it their final turn at bat, they win it two to one on a WILD PITCH by BRAD CLONTZ, and they're going crazy here at Shea! All the Mets out on the field, exchanging HIGH-FIVES and hugs. The Mets have played a hundred and sixty-two GAMES, they now lead the Wild Card by a half-a-game, waiting on CINCINNATI, scheduled to play in Milwaukee, waiting for the raindrops to cease, and it may be a long night before we know where the Mets are going, Bob, but now we know they're goin' somewhere. And by goin' somewhere, specifically to Cincinnati the next night, once the Reds finally got around to playing their 162nd game in Milwaukee and defeating the Brewers to ensure a tie for the National League Wild Card, the Mets' walkoff in their final game of 1999 no longer took place in their final game of 1999, and its eligibility to be mentioned as part of a trivia roundup of Closing Day walkoff wins fell away. Can't have everything.

Actually that is less cap-tipping than atta boy to their guys. Also too soon after that conclusion.

Here's a tweet that a Mets fan wouldn't send under similar circumstances (and rightly so): https://twitter.com/BrewerNation/status/1179232287730421761https://twitter.com/BrewerNation/status/1179232287730421761 I dig good sportsmanship cap-tipping, but too soon.

The Nieuwhenhuis blast on Father's Day is a splendid selection. A lot like yesterday in terms of the HUH?-ness of it. Two from the dark ages (pre-2015...though I guess post-2016/pre-2019 were also pretty dark): 1) September 27, 2012: Dickey's 20th on Closing Day. R.A.'s entire tenure was a lovefest, and http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2012/09/28/down-at-the-sunset-grill/this was the culmination. 2) April 19, 2013: Harvey's Better. Than Strasburg, that is. Or was. Well, he was, and it was a revelation to http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2013/04/20/it-feels-like-the-very-first-time/hear Citi Field acknowledge it as it did.

Mickey's culture of positivity (kind of maddening when we yearn for a manager to deliver a public tongue-lashing) probably paid off in cultivating an atmosphere of impressionable players not letting down in a season that seemed to be lost. I'd guess that's not an insignificant factor in what a manager does. The parts we see, the in-game machinations, have produced too many brutal potholes along the way to compensate for the personality-based assets he brings. Callaway might have been the right guy to nurture a roster full of young, promising players in today's baseball, but it likely needs to be somebody else to guide them to a higher level.

You're not going to believe this, but Pete Alonso is National League Rookie of the Month for September. He won three of the six such awards in 2019.

On being there and http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2019/09/30/the-visceral/being alive.

http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/wp-content/uploads/cabrera-hr.jpg> September 22, 2016: Mets 9 Phillies 8 (11). Jose with the game-tying homer in the ninth, Asdrubal with the game-winning homer (after the Mets fell behind in the top of the inning) in the eleventh, postseason implications all over the place. Cespedes had a big night. Grandy, too. Still-obscure rookie Seth Lugo started. Everybody under Sandy's green earth was used. Jesus, I loved and love this game. My http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2016/9/23/but-whos-counting-2/favorite to write up in fifteen seasons of FAFIF, I might add.

=kcmets post_id=23330 time=1569808520 user_id=53] Love you both, but no way either of you knew Diaz would totally suck.