Zvon

I gotta say this was one hell of a game. I cant say I was rooting, but I wanted the Asstros to move on and the Braves to go home. Considering the Mets werent in it and the emotional involvement was pretty much self manufactured , I totally enjoyed this classic. Yes, it was a classic baseball game. Put it in perspective.... The Asstros were 15-30 in May, went 73-43 the rest of the way and clinched the NL wild card on the last day of the season. They were the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the playoffs after being 15 games under .500 in the same season. Just like the season, Houston was shot down early, battled back, and won it dramatically. And against the Braves! As far as its place in post season history...... Top 10? Nah,......1st round. Top 25? Sure. In my lifetime anyway. Everythings relative. Imagine if you were an Asstros fan watching that game. Your team starts to look out of it......you prepare yourself for the end. Berk delivers a late inning granny and recharges the crowd. Ausmus hits highly improbable and borderline homer with 2 outs in the 9th to tie. To the naked eye, it looked to be extra bases but the ump twirls his fingers and makes a great HR call. Ive seen those kinda calls get blown all the time! The Asstros used all 25 players on their roster except Pettitte and Oswalt. Clemens comes in to pinch hit! The lack of extra innings fireworks did not make it any less dramatic, for me. I knew that a healthy poke was probobly gonna win it. All that great Houston relief pitching was a thrill to watch and a BIG part of the story. Especially playing in that cute lil shoebox of a stadium. I think it ended perfectly.....classically. Burke, who ran for Berkman and who was not considered a HR threat, goes yard. If it went many more innings Jason Lane would have been pitching and Clemens would have been playin the outfield(and that, I did not care to see....). And it sent the Braves home....... It was a great baseball game, and thats what I hope to see in the post season. And it was inevitable that when the 16th inning rolled around they would talk about the Mets. They even showed afew clips. :) Yep, that was a classic game in my book.

I was surprised. Shouldnt have been, I guess, considering Phils fans were calling for his head on a stick.

This is a good game goin here. Maybe not good baseball, but a good game.

Im writing a book about batboys of all sizes so when you have time I will need to interview you. Please and thankyou. Contact me on the http://www.BatBoysForum.com message board.

Edgy DC wrote: Something that's bothered me in recent years. Rather stupid, in fact. Throwing the opening day start to the new guy, even if he's your top starter, seems wrong. It should instead, I think, go to the dean of your rotation. Hampton in 2000. Glavine in 2003. Martinez in 2005. We lost all those games also --- giving up one, four, and three first-inning runs, respectively. Each occasion starting the season with the instant queasy feeling that we'd made a multi-year mistake. Yeah, in actuality it can be argued that none of those moves were a mistake. Yeah, such an honor could prove costly if, by the end of the season you've thrown one more start to Bobby Jones than Mike Hampton (a 20% ppoossibility), but opening the season with a tip of the hat to continuity has to be worth something. What are you trying to say? That throwing the opening day start to a newly aquired ace is wrong? In any case, Id only be concerned with the home opener.

seawolf17 wrote: Five runs, nine hits off Randy Johnson and he is OUTTA there with two on and nobody out in the fourth... and the MFY faithful are boooooooooooooooooooooing him!!! ....nice picture analogy. I know which one Johnson is but what kind of species is the ugly looking bird with the baseball hat on? I read in the papers that Randy said he wanted to be either cheered or booed because he feeds on that. I think he meant during the game tho, not walking off after a hook. lol

Griffey had a good year, granted, but Floyd was ripped off. Their numbers were very similar aside from the .273/.301 average. Floyd had 60 more at bats then Griff. Floyd played in 150 games. Griffey only 128. And who came thru more for their team? Who came up bigger? Floyd. Giambi? No comment. (PS: I really have no idea how Griffs performance factored into Red wins, but still,....Floyd!)

Spacemans Bong wrote: Since we've all been hearing for a year now about how the Mets soooo badly want Manny Ramirez, can I ask a question to Cranepool Nation? Um, have you heard anything not from Boston about Carlos Beltran not wanting to be in New York and being traded for Manny? Because I haven't, but many SOSHers seem to think this is a foregone conclusion. Manny on the Mets is not a rediculous possibility. However, Beltran for Manny is. If theres any reality involved with the talk, and I doubt it, Mets should stick with Beltran.

Ive looked thru my Met image library, and I have many pics of buttons and pins, but not one that seems to relate to a Met yearbook. Just searched Ebay and could not find any. Any pics?

I think this series is the most interesting at this point. If Boston comes back to win game 2 that series as well. Nothing like watching the postseason unfold, like the rose that it is.

Congrads David Wright! Thanks for doin this Yancy, and dont even think about not doing it next year(if you want to go to the trouble). And as far as I am concerned, yourDAman, and any guidelines or rules you set down I will follow. This is your gig, and you make the calls on it. If you want input Im sure you'll get it. Not only the tracking and math figuring involved, but your graphic display work is appreciated and is one of the major ingredients that has made this board a frequent must visit for me. Please continue this next year and thanks again.

Valadius wrote: "I missed my cookie." lol. He sounds good. He's not just throwin up fluff.

Wags? 5.5 mill? Yea,.....if i was an owner and if i could afford to. 2 years tops.

Starters and closers are two different animals. A starter has to be able to bring it over an extended period of time, and a closer just for 1 or 2 innings. The issue of stamina is a major factor. But using your hypothetical model, Id want my 3rd pitcher to be the closer. In theory ,I would want wins from my ace and number 2 everytime out, and I would want my closer to be successful in every save situation handed to him.

I know its inevitable that the Mets will have a new stadium eventually, but damn, Im gonna miss Shea Stadium when she's gone.

I voted anything without Atlanta. But, regardless of how the media would hate it, I find Chicago vs. Houston appealing. One team hasnt won it in eons and one team never has. Id like to see Houston get in the series for the sake of it. But I actually find afew of those matchups would be appealing to watch. Even if Atlanta got in the big show, as long as they lost Id be okay with that too. Cuz that adds to the "they got there but only won it all once under Cox" story. If theres not a team to root for, theres nothing like having a team to root against,lol.

thats odd, cuz Id pick the Boston to win this 1st playoff series to hopefully see a Yanks/ Redsox match up, but still would like to see the White Sox go the long haul chosing from the start. I guess Im just a baseball fan.

Anyone but the Braves. I really just like to see it unfold, when the Mets arent in it. I have sentiments, but they really dont matter. I just love playoff baseball. Id go with the story book ending where Chicago wins it for the 1st time since 1917, if forced to choose.

Now the Braves, I HATE. And thats an NL thing.

I know Ill take alot of heat for this, but I voted Skanks. I feel that if the Mets cant be there, a New York team should be. Im no Yank fan. I dont hate them as much as the way the media and NY papers rally around them.(Piazza's last stand gets a buried blurb box and the bombers get 4 freakin pages, not including the back page) But a NY team should make the big show every year, in Zvons world. Its a New York thing. Best damn city on the face of the earth.

]18. I singled in three at-bats, finishing my third year with the Mets and the third straight year of declines in home runs, doubles and batting aaverage. Before I got any worse they traded me. omg,... so many aquired Mets declined, only one answer....mmmmm..... Jim Fregosi?

5) George Theodore ?

Jacobs: 4 Diaz: 1.5 Floyd: 1 Beltran: .3 DeFelice: 1 Offerman: .5 A. Hernandez: .2 Takatsu: 1.5

Zvon wrote: McKeon aint goin anywhere. I love makin a fool of myself here.

Done and...............................done