CyberMusings

The last two seasons have begun with a tremendous sense of hope for the New York Metropolitans.  The last two seasons have ended with a sense of utter despair for the team, and more acutely, the fanbase.   Changes to the equation that had failed us the last two seasons were needed and made.  Whether the new equation, consisting of a new ballpark that couldn’t have come at a better time and, more importantly, a revamped bullpen with a dominating closer at the back end, will serve to erase the failures of the last two years is yet to be seen.  On this day in rainy Cincinnati, the second part of the new equation held up their end of the bargain.  May it always be thus.
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I didn’t stay for the ceremonies.  I will make that admission at the beginning in case anyone was hoping for my take.  I’m sure they were touching.  I’m sure they were very sentimental.  I’m sure if I had stayed through the very long delay between the end of a season and the last goodbyes to a stadium, I would have been feeling suitably nostalgic.  It was not to be.

In retrospect, the events leading up to the end should have served as a warning.  Once again, my Mets went into a final weekend series against the Florida Marlins fighting for their playoff lives.  Once again, a Mets pitcher threw the game of his life on the final Saturday in order to keep hope alive.  Last year it was John Maine throwing a one-hitter.  This year it was Johan Santana tossing a complete game shutout on only three days rest.  If those parallels didn’t serve enough warning, the weather should’ve been the final signal of what was to come.

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The Mets bullpen is a mess.  While that isn’t exactly news to anyone who has been following the Mets (or subjected themselves to ESPN for more than 5 minutes, God help them), I doubt anyone has felt the effects any more keenly than their ace, Johan Santana.  Sure, Mets fans are rather angry at the bullpen but then that goes along with being a Mets fan.

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I’ve been griping for a while about the new baseball palace in which the Mets will take residence beginning next season.  It’s not that I doubt the need for a new ballpark.  Shea Stadium is beyond old and antiquated and in dire need of replacement.  While it is the site of many of my fondest childhood memories and I will likely be sentimental at its passing, I know it’s time to go.

It’s not even any real concern I have as to whether I’ll still feel Citi Field is indeed a baseball palace once I make my first visit there.  I’m sure that it will be everything I could have wanted in a home for my Mets.   No, my gripe with Citi Field likes purely in its capacity to hold paying customers.  Shea Stadium is something of a behemoth relative to most baseball parks these days with the ability to hold 57,000 plus.   So it was something of a shock to learn that Citi Field would only hold 45,000 at max capacity and that 2,500 of that capacity was standing room only……standing room only????

My perspective changed a bit tonight.  (more…)

The night before was heartbreaking for Mets fans.   Comeback after comeback were wasted as the home team could not push across the winning run in extra innings.  Finally, Albert Pujols decided matters in favor of the Cardinals with a 2 run blast off of a weary Aaron Heilman in the fourteenth.  The Mets were out of pitchers, out of comebacks, and out of time.

Maybe little more than a month and a half ago, last night’s loss would have sent this Mets team into a skid.  A new manager, new pitching coach, and apparent new attitude later, it would just be another loss from which to bounce back.  The reason for such an optimistic outlook was that fact that today brought Johan Santana to the mound.  The unspoken instructions for the team’s ace, “Get us a win and spare the bullpen while you’re at it”.

I’ve been rather lucky with my Sunday seats at Shea in terms of pitching performances.   It’s hard from so high up to judge what type of stuff the pitcher has that day.  So I’m forced to go purely by results.  (more…)