batmagadanleadoff

Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan weighs in on last Tuesday's Met game. (A worthy read) ]It�s been a couple of days, but I can�t get Tuesday night�s events at Shea Stadium out of my head. In case you missed it, the Mets held a 5-2 lead over the Phillies through eight innings on a night when their closer, Billy Wagner, was unavailable due to some shoulder soreness. Mets ace Johan Santana had thrown 105 pitches through the eighth and had gotten through the eighth on 14 tosses. With Wagner out, it seemed like a good idea to leave Santana in. Interim manager Jerry Manuel decided instead to lift Santana, batting for him with no one on and one out in the bottom of the inning, and bringing in Duaner Sanchez. Six runs later, the Mets were down 8-5 on their way to an 8-6 loss. Here�s what bugged me�we�d just seen this movie. On July 4 against these same Phillies, Santana had made it through eight innings of two-run ball on 95 pitches, getting through the eighth on just 11 and retiring the last seven men he faced. He was cruising with a low pitch count, yet Manuel pulled him in a tied game, double-switching Sanchez in. Four batters later, the Mets had lost, 3-2. The former game made an impression because about six hours after it ended, I was in a car headed upstate with my uncle to play some golf, and we ended up talking about it for much of the trip. As I�ve mentioned, my family likes sports the way most people do, where they watch the games on TV and read about them in the paper. They�re not the kind of people who read BP or get into analysis. They know I write about baseball and think it�s neat that I get to go places, be on TV, write for books and for Sports Illustrated, and at the same time, they don�t completely get what we do here. I�ve probably had more success discussing the economics of the industry and moving people off of the "greedy players" meme than in changing anyone�s mind about, say, Derek Jeter�s defense. So it was interesting to spend an hour kind of working through an argument with my uncle. He actually didn�t have the reactionary stance you might expect, and was patient as I did a filibuster on the history of pitching that took us well past the Tappan Zee Bridge. What I kept coming back to, though, was that I couldn�t defend Manuel�s decision. This wasn�t removing a gassed 23-year-old coming off of a 30-pitch inning that pushed his needle into the red. This was the best pitcher in baseball, making about $700,000 a start, throwing well with a pitch count in double digits. This was, I hoped (as we reached Route 17) the nadir of a trend that, while probably a net positive for the industry and for hundreds of individuals, has gone too far in the handling of veteran pitchers. This may seem strange coming from a BP guy, but the truth is pitchers are babied these days, and that babying has gotten out of hand. When we were advocating paying greater attention to pitch counts in the 1990s, when Rany Jazayerli was developing the Pitcher Abuse Points system, and then when Rany and Keith Woolner were improving upon it, the push behind it was largely about two things: young pitchers, and the extreme edge of high pitch counts. This was a time when Kerry Wood would go from striking out 20 hitters to missing 20 months, when David Cone would throw 300 pitches over two starts, when going past 130, even 140 pitches, wasn�t unusual. Rany and Keith applied a data framework to the discussion, and we wrote about and talked about it, and the industry was working to answer the questions itself, and over a period of 10 years, the problem pretty much solved itself. Young pitchers are now handled with great care, and virtually no one with influence suggests treating them like Salem treated witches. Starts of greater than 130 pitches have disappeared from the landscape, and with so much misplaced emphasis�for which we have to take some blame�on "100 pitches," even starts of 120 or more throws are becoming rare. That was never, ever the intent. The argument that a 21-year-old Kerry Wood shouldn�t throw 120 or more pitches five times in six weeks, or that pitchers of any age should max out around 130 or so pitches in modern baseball, has absolutely nothing to do with whether Johan Santana can come out for the ninth having thrown fewer than 110 pitches. If we�ve reached a point, as an industry, where the default setting isn�t to have the best pitcher in the game taking the mound in that spot, something has gone terribly wrong. There�s been a loss of information along the way, and that loss has contributed to some poor practices within the game. I don�t think I�m bastardizing the work of Jazayerli and Woolner to make the following statement: starting pitchers who are past the injury nexus and in reasonable health can pitch into the 110- or 120-pitch range regularly without fear of injury due to overwork. That�s a general, broad statement, and it will mean different things to Ted Lilly and Livan Hernandez, different things in July and September, different things when a pitcher is throwing well and poorly. What it will always mean is that the guy making $20 million a year, pitching well and with 95 pitches under his belt will take the mound in the ninth inning of a tied game against a division rival. It will always mean that the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, having thrown 105 pitches, will close out the game when the closer is unavailable. Jerry Manuel�s hyper-conservative use of Santana, justified weakly in both cases, has no defense. It is, however, a very clear sign that we�ve gone too far. A good idea�protecting pitchers from injury due to overuse�has been warped, with ill effects for the industry. The marginal innings that veteran starters aren�t throwing�and we�re talking about maybe 10-20 a season for some large number of pitchers�are not just going to inferior pitchers, but they�re driving roster decisions that have changed the way the game is played. As much as La Russa-influenced tactics have helped redesign reliever usage, the lack of those extra pitches and extra innings has forced teams to carry 11, 12, and sometimes 13 pitchers as a workaround. That change has reduced the amount of platooning and shortened benches to the point that many teams have non-functioning reserve corps. All for the gain of low-leverage innings from low-impact pitchers. The solution here is fairly simple: forget that anyone ever mentioned the number "100." That number isn�t meaningful in any sense. If you really want to use numbers to guide you, here are two: 25 and 120. Once a pitcher is 25 years old, you can generally consider him physically mature enough to handle a full workload. A full workload for a mature, healthy pitcher should include starts of up to 120 pitches without inviting injury risk. Usage beyond that mark�actually, 121 pitches in the PAP^3 framework�do raise the risk, but that risk can be measured against the context of the situation. Flags fly forever, and the pursuit of one does sometimes outweigh the risks involved. There are no bright-line tests here. "Pitcher abuse" will always mean different things in different contexts, but the concept has all but been eliminated in today�s game. It�s time for the pendulum to swing back a bit, and let starting pitchers take a greater share of the workload.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Does anyone know what Jeets is talking about anymore? Anymore?

="Zvon"]No doubt it's Bowa. You're right. That's definitely Bowa on each of those three cards.

More mustachioed Larry. 1981 Topps:

This 1980 Bowa Kellogg's picture is a closer match to the phront-row Phillie phrenologically. Schmidt's face is longer, more oval-shaped than Bowa's. I'm switching to Bowa.

Mustached Bowa on a 1981 Kellogg's card. If the card's from '81, the picture was probably taken in 1980, within a few months of the Japan tour. The card establishes that Bowa wore a mustache near in time to the Japan tour.

This might be the motherlode clue. This link http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/japan_series/history.jsp is to MLB.com's section on MLB tours of Japan. There's a link to video of the 1979 All Star Tour. The video link appears under the year 1980 (a mistake - there was no American tour of Japan in 1980, either by a team or by a collection of players). I can't get the video to play. Maybe someone here will have better luck.

According to this website, Bowa participated in the MLB 1979 tour of Japan. That '78 Topps Bowa card looks a lot like the ambiguous front-row Phillie.

I obviously didn't like Willie, notwithstanding my post just above this one. In fact, I never detested a Mets manager as much as I did Randolph. Dallas Green was close, but those mid-90's team (so elegantly dressed) weren't going to contend even if Earl Weaver was in the dugout. Randolph wins this contest based on the level of talent he inherited. My dislike for Randolph was immediate: I saw, early on, that he was a clueless and hopeless bumbler and that any Mets success on his watch would happen in spite of and not because of Randolph's presence. By Memorial Day of '05 I was convinced that he needed to go. You've heard of looking for the silver lining in the cloud. In 2006, I was looking for the cloud in the silver lining. As the Mets were running away with their division, I was bothered by the realization that it would now take another year and a half, at least, to get rid of that idiot.

I ______ Willie.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Maybe I'm actually a good luck charm -- but only for back-up catchers! Talent-wise, Castro's no back-up catcher. Maybe he's been held back by his health or some unfortunate pigeonholing. I'm happy that he's getting more playing time.

Delgado shift-robbed of a line-drive that ordinarily would've gotten through to Rf to drive in a run.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I suppose we could argue Beltran's been hitting poorly enough recently to qualify for the 2 hole. And he bunts! Congratulations. With that kind of thinking, you now qualify for the next Mets managerial opening.

duan wrote: and the fact that Beltran's a pretty damn good centre fielder. Yeah. That too. I was going for offense, though.

Did anyone notice how Delgado has caught up to Beltran statistically and how their numbers are now virtually identical (excluding stolen bases, obviously)?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ="Gwreck"]Today's start is obvious (day game after night, lefty pitcher). Tuesday's start, against a righty, perhaps not. You're absolutely right. But still, Castro started as many of the Mets last four games as was possible, assuming that yesterday's starter would be rested today. Gwreck: I take back my observation. Once Castro started the two games previous to yesterday's game, it was a given that as of today, he would've started three of the last four. So today's start doesn't add anything that we couldn't have assumed after Castro's two consecutive starts earlier this week.

Gwreck wrote: Today's start is obvious (day game after night, lefty pitcher). Tuesday's start, against a righty, perhaps not. You're absolutely right. But still, Castro started as many of the Mets last four games as was possible, assuming that yesterday's starter would be rested today.

I looked at a couple of pictures of Schmidt's glove on the web. All of the (half a dozen or so) images I looked at show a glove with an open webbing, like the glove shown below. In Japan, the front-row Phillie appears to be holding a glove with a closed webbing, although the Japan photo, like this theory, is not entirely conclusive.

Use your fingers to cover up his entire face - but not his mouth. That's Schmidt's mouth. Anyone disagree on the mouth?

Did Schneider lose his starting status? Castro's in the starting lineup for the third time in the last four games. I hope this is a trend.

Carlos Delgado is still leading the NL in OBP for the month of July.* He's still second in the Majors, behind Manny Ramirez. Delgado's second in the NL in OPS in the month of July,* second only to Laroche. (*Among players with 3.1 plate appearances for each game that their team has played this month.)

seawolf17 wrote: Which could make the mystery man Ron Cey. If it was Ron Cey in the back row, you'd see air. Unless he was standing on a refrigerator.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Look for the scene in Shea: The moment they show was Sosa's 3-run homer he hit in the first inning. When I say the back of my head appeared, I mean, I know its in there, yours is prolly too but only for a nanosecond. I couldn't have been in the scene because I wasn't that close enough to you. Otherwise, I wouldve remembered the filming. I sat behind home plate under the netting in what used to be the very first row of seats at Shea before they added more rows. I sat in "Bo's row". (Bo was the woman who famously rolled her arms during the Buckner-Mookie inning. My two lasting memories of that game were the very loud Dominican fans with their big flags and a closeup look at Sammy Sosa during the pre-game warmups that served as further confirmation for me of steroid use in baseball.

seawolf17 wrote: Unless it's some sort of pillbox Dodgers hat. I thought that hat was a Dodger pillbox at first sight. I would assume that every player had a regular cap and a pillbox cap.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":jqlzrqqa] 2. Merengue Night '99 (Sosa HRs, Mets Rally to win, game sold out and my brother & I get shut out for walkup tickets but miraculously encounter our cousin, who's there working on a film, gets us "extra" passes in the field boxes behind on-deck circle and the backs of our heads later appear in Woody Allen's "Small Time Crooks")[/quote:jqlzrqqa] I was at that game, and coincidentally sat very close to your seats. Not close enough to have a conversation with you, but close enough to see you if I knew who you were, which I didn't. I had no idea that Small Time Crooks was being filmed. Unless I knew then but forgot later. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 24 2008 08:31 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":2lnizft8]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2lnizft8] 2. Merengue Night '99 (Sosa HRs, Mets Rally to win, game sold out and my brother & I get shut out for walkup tickets but miraculously encounter our cousin, who's there working on a film, gets us "extra" passes in the field boxes behind on-deck circle and the backs of our heads later appear in Woody Allen's "Small Time Crooks")[/quote:2lnizft8] I was at that game, and coincidentally sat very close to your seats. Not close enough to have a conversation with you, but close enough to see you if I knew who you were, which I didn't. I had no idea that Small Time Crooks was being filmed. Unless I knew then but forgot later.[/quote:2lnizft8] Look for the scene in Shea: The moment they show was Sosa's 3-run homer he hit in the first inning. When I say the back of my head appeared, I mean, I know its in there, yours is prolly too but only for a nanosecond. Apparently, the film crew "bought out" the seats we had only for the first few innings, since they were only filming while there was enough light: They said, take these seats for now but when the people who have those tickets show, you'll have to go somewhere else. I don;t recall having to move however. I can't tell you how freaky it was that during a complete sellout, while I'm wandering around looking for scalpers, my cousin somehow spies us from the concourse where he'd gone to have a smoke. Otherwise, at best I'm out big buxx for scalped tixx and at worst pissed off to leave Shea just as a game is starting. AG/DC Jul 24 2008 08:31 AM Re: YOUR Top 10 Moments at Shea Stadium ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]]1- Making out with Kristen while the Mets swept a doubleheader. Current Kristin photo and more detail required. Rainout the night before meant our baseball date was a Sunday twofer. I was as innocent as a daisy and too stupid to realize I was making a scene. We probably necked on the LIRR going both ways. I musta thought I was Fonzie that summer. As far as I can tell, Kristen ("e," not "i") is a stranger to cyberspace. batmagadanleadoff Jul 24 2008 08:41 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Look for the scene in Shea: The moment they show was Sosa's 3-run homer he hit in the first inning. When I say the back of my head appeared, I mean, I know its in there, yours is prolly too but only for a nanosecond. I couldn't have been in the scene because I wasn't that close enough to you. Otherwise, I wouldve remembered the filming. I sat behind home plate under the netting in what used to be the very first row of seats at Shea before they added more rows. I sat in "Bo's row". (Bo was the woman who famously rolled her arms during the Buckner-Mookie inning. My two lasting memories of that game were the very loud Dominican fans with their big flags and a closeup look at Sammy Sosa during the pre-game warmups that served as further confirmation for me of steroid use in baseball. soupcan Jul 24 2008 09:04 AM 1979 - 10 run inning against the Reds, Flynn's inside-the-parker topping it off 2000 - Another 10 run inning. Winning this game after being down 8-1 in the 8th. Against the Braves! 1985 - Home Opener - Carter's game-winning 10th inning jack off Neil Allen in the bitter cold 1979-ish - Bill Robinson giving me Dave Parker's bat 1979-ish - Lenny Randle banging into the wall in front of me chasing a pop-up, missing it and screaming 'FUCK!' right in my face. 2000 - NL pennant clincher against the Cards 1999 - Pratt's NLDS winning homerun against the D-Baggs 1986 - Any one of the many games I saw during the regular season that year that consisted of monster moon-shots into the rightfield off Straw's bat. 1988 - NLCS game 3. Mex falls down running the bases, Jay Howell gets ejected for foreign substance in his gliove, Mets win 8-4 2000 - World Series Game 3. World Series win against the Yankees. Benjamin Grimm Jul 24 2008 09:15 AM I only wanted to include games I remember without having to look them up. If my memory needs refreshing, then they're not memorable enough. I came up with seven wins, and three losses. Very heavily weighted towards the 1980's. October 25, 1986: World Series Game Six. 'Nuff said! Opening Day 1985: Gary Carter celebrates his Mets debut with a walkoff homer against Neil Allen. April 1983: Tom Seaver's return to the Mets. April 1985: The 18-inning game against the Pirates with Rusty making a running catch in the outfield. June 27, 1972: My second game, and first Mets win. A three-run homer by Jim Fregosi! September 1988: Mets clinch NL East. April 2005: My first game at Shea as a dad, as I bring my 8-year-old son to his first Mets home game. Pedro Martinez vs. Al Leiter. Mets win on a walkoff hit by Ramon Castro. October 1988: Mike Scoscia homers off Doc Gooden in NLCS Game 4. September 11, 1987: Terry Pendleton's homer puts a crimp in the Mets hopes of repeating. October 1986: World Series Game One. A lifetime dream is fulfilled, I'm attending a World Series game at Shea Stadium! I only found out I was going a few hours before it was time to go to the ballpark. (I had a friend who knew somebody...) Mets lose, though, 1-0 on an error by Tim Teufel. Vince Coleman Firecracker Jul 25 2008 09:39 AM 1. Oct 8, 2000[/url:31ya4qrs] NLDS Game 4, 2000 - The Bobby Jones 1-hitter. I lucked into these tickets by way of a friend's girlfriend, behind the visitor's dugout, 5 rows back. Best seats I've ever had, best game I've ever seen in person. Mets win 4-0. 2. Oct 18, 2006[/url:31ya4qrs] NLCS Game 6, 2006 - John Maine's coming out party featured a leadoff homer by Reyes that rocked the stadium and a Billy Wagner escape act in the 9th. Mets win 4-2. 3. Jun 30, 2003[/url:31ya4qrs] Not an important game, but it's the first I go to after getting back from OIF. Got pretty hammered before the game, got to see a Jose Reyes' second career triple, wound up making out with a Howard Dean volunteer later that night at Mulchahy's. Pretty crazy day. Mets win, 3-1. 4. May 21, 2000[/url:31ya4qrs] The SuperJoe game. McEwing doubles twice and homers off Randy Johnson and scores on a walk-off single by Derek Bell. Mets win 7-6. 5. Jul 24, 1985[/url:31ya4qrs] My first game at Shea. My grandfather took me when I was 5. I remember eating my hot dog and the way he parked under the 7 platform (he was a retired city detective and left his badge on the dash) better than the game itself, save a Keith Hernandez home run that set off the big apple. Apparently, John Franco got the win. Mets lose, 3-2. 6. Aug 12, 2000[/url:31ya4qrs] With 2 outs, Benny Agbayani hands the ball to a kid in the stands not 10 rows in front of where I'm sitting. I was so close, I couldn't see what happened, only that Benny was jogging in towards the infield as Giants are running around the bases. After heckling Barry Bonds loudly and incessantly the entire game, no one cheers louder when Benitez strikes him out to end it. Mets win, 3-2. 7. Apr 17, 2006[/url:31ya4qrs] Pedro wins his 200th as the Mets take the first game of the season series from Atlanta on their way to dethroning them. Sarcastic tomahawk chops abound. Mets win, 4-3. 8. Jul 29, 2000[/url:31ya4qrs] Welcome A-Bordick! Mike Bordick homers on the first pitch he sees as a Met. Piazza homers and Lenny Harris drives in the game-winner in the NLCS preview. Mets win 4-3. 9. Jun 29, 2000[/url:31ya4qrs] John Rocker makes his first appearance at Shea after his Sports Illustrated interview amid a heavy police presence and a tight division race. The loudest booing I've ever heard, plus some nimrod throws a bottle onto the field. Mets wind up losing a close one, but what a wild game. Mets lose, 6-4. 10. Jun 19, 1998[/url:31ya4qrs] A Met loss, but Rick Reed throws 6 2/3 perfect innings to start the game. Mets lose 3-2 John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 25 2008 09:57 AM As well as being at the "A-Bordick" game I was at Benny Agbayani Giveaway Night: aka Irish Night. Still have the hat! OIF -- you mean that war thing they got going on? What was that like? Are you outta the service now? SteveJRogers Jul 25 2008 10:16 AM How about Cone exposing himself in the bullpen? Or Kevin Elster banging chicks in the clubhouse during the game? Any love for Rey Sanchez opening up an in-game barbershop as well? Vince Coleman Firecracker Jul 25 2008 10:20 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1lijyhdx]As well as being at the "A-Bordick" game I was at Benny Agbayani Giveaway Night: aka Irish Night. Still have the hat! OIF -- you mean that war thing they got going on? What was that like? Are you outta the service now?[/quote:1lijyhdx] I forgot that was Irish night- Black 47 was awesome, I just thought that was a separate game. I was also at Merengue Night in 99 and also didn't realize it was in "Small Time Crooks". The war was actually pretty fun the first time, like a frat house with missile attacks, but no women and really hideous booze (either JD shipped in Listerine bottles or Arab moonshine). The second time I was going to be sent was after I'd started dating my now fiancee, and that was no fun at all. Luckily, the unit I was attached to wound up being so crippled (in terms of the number of personnel, not injuries or anything) that they needed to keep me and a few other reservists in the states to take the place of the poor active duty bastards who were overseas. So my second tour in support of OIF was spent in San Diego, CA. I've been in the IRR for a year and a half now, my contract (finally) ends in March. Benjamin Grimm Jul 25 2008 10:29 AM Steve's off his medication again. apmorris Jul 26 2008 02:07 PM My list: 1) 1986 NLCS Game 5[/url:yjuvkwa5] 2-10) Cannot compare to #1 apmorris Jul 26 2008 02:12 PM ="HahnSolo":3hl26ui7]Mostly personal memories, here goes: 1. Game 6, 1986.[/quote:3hl26ui7] d:) G-Fafif Dec 31 2008 10:35 AM My Top 162, a full season's worth, offered here[/url:8t07xdhg] in personal stream of consciousness. Top 10, generically speaking: 1. October 3, 1999: Melvin Mora crosses home plate on Brad Clontz's wild pitch. 2. October 9, 1999: Todd Pratt ends NLDS on walkoff homer. 3. October 16, 2000: Mets win pennant. 4. July 10, 1999: Matt Franco beats Mariano Rivera, 9-8. 5. September 28, 1997: Final game of comeback season. 6. October 18, 2006: Mets even NLCS at three games apiece. 7. October 4, 2006: Paul Lo Duca tags two Dodgers in NLDS opener, setting stage for Game One win. 8. September 18, 2006: Mets clinch first division title in 18 years. 9. June 30, 2000: Mets score ten runs in eighth, capped by Mike Piazza's three-run homer, beat Braves 11-8. 10. May 17, 2007: Mets score five runs in ninth, defeat Cubs 6-5. metirish Dec 31 2008 10:39 AM 1999 was such a fun season, hard to believe it's ten years ago already. mario25 Dec 31 2008 10:49 PM My top 10 moments 10 The Joe Mcewing Game 9 Not sure of the date but I took a bus trip and arrived early to get on the field for picture day...Had my picture taken with Edgardo Alfonso and Piazza 8 Mo Vaughn hits a bomb off the Bud sign in right center-way up 7 Sat in the Time warner suite and Darling,Hernandez and Cohen came into eat..and Julie Donaldson (she is hot) 6 Game winner by Wright off of Mariano 5 Mcgwire hits satelite homer opp. field to beat Mets...a bomb 4 Endy Catch game-never been in a louder place in my life 3 Sat behind home dugout and Eddie Murray flipped me a ball 2 June 2008 Sunday night game Johan dominates dodgers-reunion with fantasy camp guys #1 hands down...played at Shea stadium for Fantasy Camp reunion....Sat in visitors dugout to change, roamed stadium for 3 hrs. before game started, Ron Swoboda pitched me batting practice, Ed Charles hit us infield practice,pretended to make game saving catches over CF fence,Had my name announced by Shea announcer, Hit a basehit in only Shea at bat ...Simply an Amazing day Met Hunter Jan 01 2009 08:06 AM 10. 1975 Mets-Stros. Joe Torre hits into 4 double plays. Blames Millan for getting 4 singles in front of him. Dad laughed the whole car ride home. 9. 1998 Mike Piazza's birthday. Hits blast into trees out in LCF. A bonafide star. Sends everyone home happy. Especially my 7 year old and his friend Anthony. 8. 1988 divisional clincher vs Philly. Upper deck behind home. Was able to make it to work that night too. Highlight of night was casting a paper airplane down to the on deck circle and having Gary Carter put it in his back pocket. Lots of drunken cheers. 7. 1984-1989. Numerous games seeing Doc rock the house. I swear it was never louder and the place never shook more than those nights he lit em up. Get chills thinking about it. 6. 1971 Mets-Bucs. My first game. Steve Blass wins 2-0 over Kooz. Clemente triples, Pops homers. I'm hooked. Dad couldn't remember if he took me or if it was with Little League. Later, I find the program in the attic. I filled out Mets side. Pirates are in his handwriting. 5. 2006 pennant clincher. Sat right behind home and gave it to most of the Cardinals on their way back to the dugout. Was congratulated after game by Sarah Jessica Parker. Matthew was just glad not to have any more plastic beer bottles rolling under his seat. 4. 2006 Mets-MFYs. DWright's walkoff double of Mo. Nuff said. Beating them always makes the list. 3. 1986 Mets-Braves. My favorite alltime regular season game. Carter has 2 homers, 7 RBI by second inning. Straw has brawl with David Palmer after being plunked following Carter's 2nd homer. Mets win 11-0, Sid pitches 2 hit shutout, gets 3 hits of his own. We're on our way. Seating highlight: My friend Dino's buddy from the pharmacy, drops entire tray of beer across three rows of people trying to get back to our seats. 2. Grand Slam single. Went with my son age 8. Sat in uppers right field side. When we get to extras, he suggests moving down. Got a couple of great seats on first base side loge. Dunston, Ventura, Morrison. 1. Game 7 1986. Eight rows behind Red Sox dugout with my younger brother. So many times we sat in an empty house together. The only Game 7 the Mets ever won at Shea. batmagadanleadoff Jan 01 2009 08:59 AM ="Met Hunter":knuba7l6] 6. 1971 Mets-Bucs. My first game. Steve Blass wins 2-0 over Kooz. Clemente triples, Pops homers. I'm hooked. Dad couldn't remember if he took me or if it was with Little League. Later, I find the program in the attic. I filled out Mets side. Pirates are in his handwriting.[/quote:knuba7l6] You beat me to Shea by about half a day. My very first Met game (4/18/71) was the day after yours. Clemente's second triple in as many games was the only hit Gary Gentry surrendered. Mets win 5-2. The Boys from Mobile homer.