The Offseason

So what do I think the Mets should do this offseason? Get rid of the Wilpons, have an owner that truly believes in the team and shape up the lineup. I think that we have great pitchers but the lineup does not seem to work. The team needs to rebuild and give the fans something to cheer about. If the Mets make the postseason, that's called progress. I want them to have a chance to win, even if they don't win. That is what makes fans believe. The fact that a team gets into the postseason shows that the team worked hard all year and got a fighting chance to win. Not getting into the postseason would be a failure and a pathetic season. So  I wouldn't be surprised if the team's lineup doesn't change much and for 2013, miss the postseason. A winning team has chemistry and comraderie. Without those, the team will eventually mess up and falter. Anyway, just thought I'd share my thoughts this offseason.
-Angela

Mom's 1st Mets Game

Perhaps, bringing mom to her first Mets game, gave the team good luck...after losing 6 straight...Anyway, my mom has no interest whatsoever in baseball, but we had an extra ticket that we did not want to waste and she was the person I wanted to go with us. She reluctantly came, but as I started to explain the general basics of baseball, it took me about 3 innings for her to understand that pop fly balls are outs and that the idea is for the opposing team to catch the ball without it ever touching the ground...Mind you, I did this all in Cantonese, which I'm not fluent in...not grammatically anyway. So not only did I translate what I thought to be the right terms, I taught her baseball in another language. Perhaps I did not thoroughly explain every type of play there is or about singles, doubles, triples, grand slams or balks...But I did get her to pay closer attention to how many players are on the field. I think from that point on, after explaining over and over about if the ball hits the ground and the guy doesn't catch it in the air, he can go to first base...mom saw how the caught balls causes the players to return to the dugout. She learned that Justin Turner's homer with no one on base causes a run. And that Dickey's bunt and his hard run to first base, was awesome because the Astros did didly squat to throw him out as they crash/collided... Mom witnessing these plays was really special to me because she came out with a strong assumption that baseball is no fun to watch and that not understanding the game, makes it boring. I must say, I agree...if you don't understand something, why stick around to watch.

In JHS, I felt this way. Baseball is boring and at that time I didn't care for the sport. I just thought that it was unfair that Yankee fans snuck to the parade in 1996? and the school excused their absences? Perhaps that was the start of my blood boiling, aka, my hatred for that team. Plus, kids at that age were mean to one particular Mets fan in school. The class was full of Yankees fans and at that time, I held my neutral stance. Perhaps that made me think of Yank fans as bullies and as mean people. I must say that I do recall a JHS summer when I turned on the tv to WPIX-11 and watched baseball. I believe that was my start to understanding baseball. No one taught me baseball, I taught myself baseball by watching games on tv. I know in 2000, I had already declared my allegiance to the Mets. My sisters and I were in agreement and we basically listed out reasons why the Yankees are pompous jerks that are overrated and their fans suck. Plus, I credit my dad's Mets umbrella as the start of it all. Hahha. Dad was never showed his support for any team...

Anyway, that is all I wanted to share today. A great win by RA Dickey 3-1, his 16th win this year and it's one of the memorable games that I've been to because mom came and it was Mike Piazza Bobblehead Day. No game can ever (or has yet) top my 19th birthday fireworks night at Shea...it was special, it was a surprise, though it was a loss...But I do value that game as being the best because I'll always remember it.
-Angela

The No Hitter

I must say that on June 1st, 2012. Johan Santana was meant to pitch the elusive no hitter. It was meant to be. The umpire had to have called "Foul ball" and  Mike Baxter had made an incredible catch. The stars were aligned and it was destiny. It's still surreal after two weeks since that day. Whenever I watch a no-hitter or a close no-hitter, I anticipate and always get disappointed when the ball drops or some fielder misses by a foot or something. That night, I was jittery, I felt the nerves that channeled through Johan and I was shaking. I didn't give up hope and I had faith that it was possible and when the last strike struck, I was simply amazed and in disbelief. It has happened.The Cards may complain about Beltran's "hit" and that it was fair (yes, videofootage shows it hit the chalk up third base...), but look at it this way, they took a possible World Series from us in 2006 and that hurts more than a no hitter. The game of baseball is not perfect though the pun here is that it's a perfect game that was played. Point taken. A team cannot get every call right. There can be only so much video footage of every single play but why go through the trouble, it's really just a game.  Yes, it ruins records or someone's reputation? But then again, the other day, RA Dickey "had a no hitter" but  MLB did not think so. It just goes to show you that, in one way or another, it's karma, we had a no hitter that was considered tainted, but when Dickey had a no hitter, DWright didn't get an error on the play but rather it was counted as a hit. Thus, the game goes full circle. Not that one game impacts another game but calls go one way and calls go another way.
-Angela