G-Fafif

Richie Ashburn died in his Manhattan hotel room and I remember more than one longtime announcer saying he'd hate to go that way. There isn't a good way to, I'm guessing.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I refuse to recognize Billy Wagner was ever a Met. Psst...still is, technically.

One of the great voices, obviously. A very friendly and conssiderate man, based on my single encounter with him 13 years ago. I attended a baseball broadcasting panel at the Museum of Television & Radio (if you read the afterword to FAFIF, it's where I first said hello to Gary Cohen and we had our Kenny Greer moment). I went to the men's room afterwards and there was Harry, being wrangled into leaving somebody's outgoing message from the pay phone. I can still hear it: "Hi, you've reached Mike and Sue, but they're not home now..." in Harry Kalas' voice. The nerve it must have taken to request that, and the graciousness he had to fulfill the wish on the spot. He just smiled about it afterward when I told him, in so many words, wow, you just did that for somebody. I loved tuning in 1210 AM to hear him through the static every now and then over the years. Baseball is better for having had Harry Kalas announce it.

MFS62 wrote: I wouldn't have had any heartburn if the Mets had asked Al Jackson to throw out the first pitch, considering his long time service to the organization. Won the first game ever won by the home team at Shea.

Dreamy McMet?

]We talked about the Citi Field opener tonight and he acted as if he were insulted and confused as to why the Mets asked Seaver rather than himself to throw out the first pitch.

="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]="G-Fafif":3288zbut]="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3288zbut] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3288zbut] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3288zbut] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?) batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":2o4o9ruz]It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.[/quote:2o4o9ruz] You've got to blow hard to pump up that blowhard. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

Francesa by himself is not all powerful. It is that we invest his views or words with our anger/annoyance that makes him a bigger deal than he is. So for five hours a day he is presumptuous and dismissive of the Mets. Then he leaves. And with him goes his nonsense. It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.

="batmagadanleadoff":1ex6emip]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ex6emip] But you shave with Gillette Foamy. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM WOW, Steve. I'm blown away by that comment. For someone who has posted many posts on the evils of how "the media" dupes the general public into believing one thing or another, you certainly seem to be drinking the O'Reilly koolaid. I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:37 AM ="G-Fafif":130o63x3]="batmagadanleadoff":130o63x3]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:130o63x3] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:130o63x3] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas? G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:40 AM Francesa by himself is not all powerful. It is that we invest his views or words with our anger/annoyance that makes him a bigger deal than he is. So for five hours a day he is presumptuous and dismissive of the Mets. Then he leaves. And with him goes his nonsense. It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:41 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]="G-Fafif":3288zbut]="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3288zbut] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3288zbut] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3288zbut] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?) batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":2o4o9ruz]It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.[/quote:2o4o9ruz] You've got to blow hard to pump up that blowhard. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

Times surveys the Fanwalk... ]Solid Sentiments at Citi Field By KEN BELSON Some are simple, some are silly. Others are wistful and earnest. A few are even profound. But nearly all the 18,000 bricks in front of the main entrance to Citi Field have one thing in common: fans who spent hundreds of dollars to declare their devotion to the Mets in stone. One reporter�s brick-by-brick tally found that most inscriptions were straightforward: Mets fans claiming to be the most ardent. Many sign off with, �Let�s Go Mets!� and their names or initials. Many refer to departed family and friends, including a few who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, like one of the three bricks that Evelyn and Richard Becker from Bayside bought. �We jumped on it right away,� Evelyn Becker said one recent afternoon as she and her husband scanned the walkway for their bricks, the sale of which helped the Mets raise $3 million for charity. �We�re so proud to be part of this.� The Mets did not edit inscriptions, which resulted in occasionally sloppy grammar. But messages that were lewd or uncomplimentary to the baseball team in the Bronx and its players were disqualified. Some inscriptions proclaim the Mets as the �Best Team in New York,� but no bricks include the word Yankees. A handful of fans declared their allegiance to the departed New York baseball Giants, and the Jets. Many more said that their road to Flushing began in Flatbush, where the Brooklyn Dodgers played. �CVB� wrote simply, �Dem Bums, Our Amazins.� Many fans included seminal years in Mets history, like 1962, 1969 and 1986. A few said their love of the team began in 1961, the year before the Mets took the field for the first time. One brick thanks Joan W. Payson, the Mets� first majority owner. It is signed, �Love, New York National League Baseball Fans.� Payson�s daughter, Lorinda de Roulet, might have been behind the brick signed by Linda de Roulet, which read: �It Has Always Been Fun to Cheer Together.� Many of the bricks, which are 4 inches by 8 inches or 8 inches by 8 inches, commemorate days when fans attended their first games, met future wives or started a family. Quite a few inscriptions say that Citi Field was no substitute for Shea Stadium, the last remnants of which are being cleared to make way for a parking lot. �We were going to get one of the little bricks, but I said it was so cool because now it�s here forever,� said Karin Ritchie, standing with her husband, Brian; their infant daughter, Riley; and their beagle, Shea, near their brick: �1 Life, 1 Love, Let�s Go Mets, the Ritchies, est. 2006.� Hidden among the hundreds of rows of dark and light brown bricks are gems that elicited a chuckle, a guffaw or a scratch on the head. Some are clever, others are inside jokes, and a few are so obscure that they are funny. Liz Freedman and Wendy Ellicott (librarians, perhaps?) wrote, �In Libris Scriptum Sit,� followed by the English translation, �Put It in the Books,� the signature phrase that Howie Rose, a Mets radio announcer, uses after every victory. Some fans took stabs at poetry, like Vicki Schmidt, who wrote, �Forever a Fan, Love My Mets, Put My Ashes in the Rosin Bag & I�ll Be All Set!� Other bricks leave readers wondering. Tony Naccarato spent $395 and tax to announce: �I Was at the 69 World Series. Lost My Hot Dog.� Another brick raises questions: �Sheila Mandel (Mom Trusts Certain Mets).� Which Mets does she trust and why? And what does she trust them to do? Some bricks paint a larger, perhaps more violent picture. One brick signed �M B&K Kulbacki,� reads: �Mom: Use When Dad Misbehaves.� There are, of course, references to favorite players and managers. Casey and Gil. Tom and Tug. Cleon and Rusty. Delwyn Perez proclaimed, �Mike Piazza for President,� and Eric Singerman, who �Sold Hot Dogs & Beer in Shea�s Early Years,� said he named his son Mookie. Another unsigned brick reads, �McDowell Was the Second Spitter,� a reference to pitcher Roger McDowell�s role on an episode of �Seinfeld.� McDowell�s Mets teams of the 1980s, with all their flash and flair, might have been what prompted the Loshiavo Family to write, �Great Hair Wins Championships!� P. Wakabayashi seemed to care less about the Mets and more about becoming one with baseball fans. �Me Some Peanuts & Crackerjack, I,� the brick says. Sitting quietly amid the sea of adoration and exclamation is this understatement: �Richie Oresto. Typical Mets Fan.� The Nicolaou Family seemed to question the wisdom of their having spent money to help pave a walkway when they wrote, �Why?� The simplicity award, though, goes to the fan who said it all in a word: �Mine.�

I hope when Jim Baumbach does the MFYS II is gone story, he'll incorporate the thoughts of Mets fans. But never mind that. Nice Daily News piece on the Shea stadium (OK, Field) that still hosts baseball. ]Shea name is still alive ... in Harlem BY ERIC BARROW DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Updated Sunday, April 12th 2009, 1:37 PM There's still time to catch a ballgame at Shea, plenty of time in fact. Carved into the southwest corner of tiny Mount Morris Park in central Harlem you'll find Shea primped and primed for baseball this summer. The park is William Shea Friendship Ballfield - the last ballfield still named after the lawyer who brought National League baseball back to New York. Bill Shea's love of baseball and his ability to pull a string or two made him just the right fit to help then-Mayor Robert Wagner return NL baseball to the Big Apple: Naming the new home for the Mets after Shea was a fitting tribute. But now Shea Stadium is gone, leveled to make room for a parking lot as Citi Field begins its tour of duty tomorrow. And while Shea Stadium may be gone, Shea Field is alive and well. It all started when Harlem Little League founders Dwight and Iris Raiford received a letter from Bill Shea in September of 1989. Shea, then the longtime president of the Little League Foundation, wanted to know what he could do to help the Harlem branch. Dwight Raiford had never met Bill Shea, but knew of his law firm, Shea and Gould, and knew that the name ran along the top of a stadium in Queens. "What we really need is a ballfield," Raiford told Shea. "A field of our own." The Harlem Little League, which played its first season in the spring of '89, was already overflowing with kids and was forced to turn many away, says Raiford. Raiford desperately needed a kids-only park to handle the massive turnout and become the permanent home for his league. Shea helped raise money. He worked with the parks department and local politicians. He helped turn a run down asphalt eyesore in Harlem, lousy with broken bottles, into a graceful ballfield of green grass and groomed earth complete with dugouts and bleachers - and this summer they will add a clubhouse. "It's a first-class facility that shows these kids that the community cares about them," says Raiford. "It was not about money or power. It was about getting something done for people....We can use a little bit of suburbia in Manhattan, and that's what we get at Shea Field." Mets owner Fred Wilpon, a longtime friend of Shea's, got involved as well. "Bill was so interested in Little League, especially Harlem Little League," says Wilpon. "We made sure his name would be on the field." Shea never got to see Shea Field and the impact it had on the neighboring streets. He died in the Fall of 1991, eight years before the grand opening in 1999, ten years after he sent the letter that got everything started, the letter Dwight Raiford still has. "You don't throw away a letter from Bill Shea," says Raiford. There was a parade the day the field opened - as there is every April - with several members of the Shea family in attendance; they still make the trip each spring and still help out with the bills. "It's become a part of the family," says Bob Ryan, Bill Shea's son-in-law. "It's incredible how the neighborhood has embraced my father-in-law." So if you still want to see a good ballgame at Shea you can, and the best part is, it won't cost you a thing - unless of course you want help pay the bills, too. For schedule information go to HarlemLL.org.

Nobody's forced to do nothin', but as a sports-following New Yorker, the FAN has a Lojack installed on my mind. Sooner or later, the FAN will find it, no matter how I try to steal away. The listener reaches a point of cutting off the rhetorical argument with Mr. Francesa when he realizes it's futile. MF is as much an act as anything. Don't yell at your radio. Get the scores and move on. When you stick around and listen to the host be the way he is, just remind yourself, "Hey, Mike Francesa is entitled to his stupid opinion, surely there's something else I can do until 6:20 this evening." Would be nice if blowhard wasn't the default hiring position on the frequencies where the Mets play.

="Edgy DC":jat6uws2]="G-Fafif":jat6uws2]Matter raised in my e-mail group that I have to admit didn't occur to me all weekend: somebody should have slid hard or come inside to send a message/retaliate for last September, the way they celebrated on our field and such, and in general for taking such glee in eliminating us. I can't imagine this bunch of Mets doing anything like that, from the manager down to the stars, the starting pitchers, anybody save maybe for a cranky reliever or two but then you're worried about protecting a lead. I instinctively approve all Met retaliation, proactive or otherwise, but my gut tells me you beat teams by outplaying them. Any thoughts?[/quote:jat6uws2] Did the Victor Diaz GameTM actually elminate the Cubs or merely break their spirits? And did the Mets inappropriately over-celebrate?[/quote:jat6uws2] Spirit-breaking was the event in '04. Don't recall an overwhelming celebration. Hope Diaz is seeing something for his trademark. Listen, you win and you can do what you want. This is the franchise that perfected the curtain call and created the Festival of the Handshake. The Marlins made a big deal of eliminating the Mets a second time? Don't let 'em do that: the winning, that is. I didn't notice the excessive celebration until the "GET OFF THE FIELD!" chant started. It's sad when the fans have to show the indignation for the team, I suppose, but I'd prefer the Mets show their teeth as they cross the plate. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 13 2009 08:51 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":uyqcgzju] So in summary, I'm actually pretty satisfied with most of our team but strongly disagree with the way Jerry wussed us out of Friday's game.[/quote:uyqcgzju] More or less with you, Lunchpail... Speaking of wussing out, is it me, or has Jerry gone a little Willie on us with the bullpen usage? Between playing righty-lefty with Stokes and Feliciano, sticking to one-and-done inning limits for guys like Parnell or Stokes (even in long-man/mop-up situations), and 23 (!) appearances in 6 games, I'm mildly disturbed. (The fact that this comes after a springtime of this-is-a-changed-bullpen and pitchers-who-can-pitch-to-everybody happy talk deepens that disturbance a touch.) ="G-Fafif":uyqcgzju]I instinctively approve all Met retaliation, proactive or otherwise, but my gut tells me you beat teams by outplaying them. Any thoughts?[/quote:uyqcgzju] I like the idea of doing this in their house-- something about Joe Player Dolphin stadium makes me wish the Mets would go wrestling-heel in this place. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 08:52 AM Even the book says not to play for a tie on the road. More conservative than the book is pretty conservative. Jerry keeping Rodriguez out of the game and losing with O'Day is also a frustration. Randolph and Manuel ain't black and white. GYC Apr 13 2009 11:19 AM I ironically felt better about this series than the first one, even with the lesser results. Go figure. The big thing for me, though, is probably that I only saw one game in its entirety, so that lessens the frustration. metsmarathon Apr 13 2009 11:23 AM ="Edgy DC":1gx6ofkt]Randolph and Manuel ain't black and white.[/quote:1gx6ofkt] i would've considered them black and black.

metirish wrote: ="G-Fafif"]If a Met stepped up in Sept. '07 and '08 like Irish stepped up here, we'd be sorting through our great variety of playoff t-shirts right now. Instead unknown kids in far flung places all over the third world are wearing them. "Say, Dikembe, it appears the New York Mets are every bit the powerhouse those Buffalo Bills and Phoenix Suns were in the previous decade."

Matter raised in my e-mail group that I have to admit didn't occur to me all weekend: somebody should have slid hard or come inside to send a message/retaliate for last September, the way they celebrated on our field and such, and in general for taking such glee in eliminating us. I can't imagine this bunch of Mets doing anything like that, from the manager down to the stars, the starting pitchers, anybody save maybe for a cranky reliever or two but then you're worried about protecting a lead. I instinctively approve all Met retaliation, proactive or otherwise, but my gut tells me you beat teams by outplaying them. Any thoughts?

If a Met stepped up in Sept. '07 and '08 like Irish stepped up here, we'd be sorting through our great variety of playoff t-shirts right now. I don't know that Murphy didn't try to catch it. I think he was lost. That's a tough outfield for day games. I remember it doing in Alex Ochoa in Sept. '95 in a similarly embarrassing fashion. He should use two hands and all, but I don't think it was a lack of effort as much as a lack of judgment and experience. Calling Coach Shines and his magic fungo...

If anybody could move her from "I hate baseball, it's boring and requires no intelligence" to "I'm willing to have my mind changed," it's Prof. Brand.

Shea had all the conveniences -- good facilities for radio and TV, great parking, easy to get to, a prototype of the modern stadium. --Lindsey Nelson in "Voices of the Game" by Curt Smith

Unfortunate result, spectacular game. A privilege to watch.

I am no longer Stoked about Brian.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ="Kong76"]Who's this Castillo guy? Dunno, but he hits everything, no? Someone oughta lock him down long-term. God, I love his intangibles. And his tangibles ain't so bad tonight.

Television cameras, when turned on and beaming signals in the first inning, obviously steal Luis Castillo's soul. He plays much better in games that aren't all that televised.

Ryan takes his marching orders from Wolfie!

Cameron Maybin: Public Enemy No. 1.