Baseball is back...early season agony and ecstasy!

 I was planning to fill my first baseball blog post with photos from an amazing weekend in NYC with Bulldog for my first Mets game of the season.  Instead, the first picture is Freedom Tower.  Not that Freedom Tower has anything to do with baseball...except when it does.  For all the historic events I've witnessed in my life or been a part of, Ground Zero and the WTC site are both places I have not purposely avoided, but I've also not purposely found time to visit during one of my many trips to the Big Apple each year.  If it wasn't for almost walking right into it, I would have probably not even noticed.  But, we were stopped waiting to cross the street and on the other side was a park with little league baseball fields (yes, for you folks in Mississippi- in the middle of a NYC block- real live grass, parents sitting on coolers, and 8 years old children picking their nose in the outfield)...one was an all girls team and one looked like it was a Noah's Ark of nationalities.  How great is that?  In the shadow of where so much was lost over a decade ago, the most American thing in the world carries on just as it has for over a hundred years and in the same manner as anywhere else in the country.  We were on our way to the Tribeca Film Festival "Drive-in" for the premiere of Knuckleball starring Former RedSox pitcher Tim Wakefield and my Metsie, RA Dickey.  An outdoor viewing along the Hudson River at dusk on a oddly mild spring evening was just about the most perfect setting I could ever imagine. 

Swirly's Baseball Predictions

The other league: AL
East: Red Sox
Central: Detroit!
West: Angels
Wild Card: Yankees, Rangers

National League (Hearts!!!!!!!)
East: Miami Marlins
Central: St. Louis Cardinals
West: LA Dodgers
Wildcard: Phillies, Diamondbacks

SwirlyWand Baseball Husband: DANIEL MURPHY

National League MVP: David Wright
Cy Young: Roy Halladay

American League MVP: Albert Pujols
Cy Young: Justin Verlander

My favorite hometown Nationals player to watch: Baby Jesus Strasburg.

The off-season that was...my take!

AND, as luck would have it, today is my baseball-versary! On this day, 33 years ago, my dad (in a horrendously orange Astros cap) and mom took a toddler to see the Astros play the Braves at the Astrodome (I still consider the dome the 8th Wonder of the World). No, I don't remember it, but I had so much fun that my parents have pictures of me wearing Dad's Astros cap THE NEXT MORNING in my high chair. :-) Ken Forsch threw a no-hitter. And fittingly, as a NY Mets fan, that will probably be the only no-no I witness in my life.

I joke about it because it's easier and less emotionally draining than expecting it to happen- ever. This will be my first year to miss Opening Day since the Nationals came to DC. I wanted to be the Cal Ripken of Opening Day fandom...but alas, life and circumstances gets in the way of things. First, I've fallen in love and I chose to road-trip with my boyfriend instead of taking a day off to go to Opening Day. Then, there is the glaringly obvious reason...my Bulldog has abandoned me and moved to NYC. He went to Opening Day yesterday at Citi without me. The first of many gut-wrenching days for me knowing he is cheering on our Mets and I'm miserable in DC. Funsies this year will include my bold attempt to enjoy baseball with my Yankees fan boyfriend....I know I can do it because I love baseball. But, seriously, how can he possibly relate to the misery of the METS fan? I'm lucky because he doesn't bash the Mets to me. He is actually how I think MOST Yankees fans should be...more focused on the Yankees...and (fine by me) not bothered to spend a second focused on the misery and dismay of the Yankees annoying neighbor across town. I've often wondered why Yankees fans with all their glory...with all the championships and super stars...even bother to take time out of their day to crap on Mets fans. I'm lucky that my Davey doesn't do that. I'm a baseball purist- I listen to games on the radio, I keep score, and I love great pitching. These are things that people who love baseball can relate to no matter who they root for.

So there are a few important things in baseball land that happened in the off season...some so inconsequential that I feel like I'm the only one who noticed, and then there were the big moments. Big in a way that required two follow up phone calls to me in a hotel room in Memphis from the two people closest to me to make sure I didn't jump off a bridge...
It's the first thing people asked me about in the elevator, at the office, when I am pumping gas at the Exxon in my neighborhood and someone sees the Mets insignia on my car..."what about Jose Reyes?".
hmmmm...what about him? Can I talk about this without crying? Is someone just trying to ruin my day? What the eff do you think I think about him? I'm devastated. No, I'm angry at him. No, wait...I'm pissed that the NY Mets didn't even so much as text him "hey" when it was time to negotiate. That's it....the FANS had meet-ups, made t-shirts & signs...chanted his name...did everything they could to show Jose the love he apparently needed to return to New York. But to no avail...on a cold December morning, I ignored the ESPN reports that morning and boarded a plane to Memphis. When I landed, we lost Jose to Miami.

***PHONE RINGING*** me: hey baby...what's up?
my dave: did you hear the news?

I tried to not even let the news that the METS traded Angel Pagan to the SF Giants...just 4 months after they traded Carlos Beltran to the SF Giants...bother me. I mean, I'm and adult. Okay,I'm an adult who cries about baseball. I feel like the Mets personally just want to hurt my feelings. Bulldog called, Dave called...even my dad called. I loved Angel Pagan from the second he had a killer spring break 2 seasons ago...I thought he was the little engine that could. He loved baseball...had a ton of Puerto Rican pride for the game...and had a kid-like approach to each game. When he talked about baseball and what the game meant to his family, I would tear up.

Baseball is a business. I get it. I remember watching Nolan Ryan pitch in a Rangers uniform and thinking the earth was going to rotate off its axis. I was spoiled because MY first favorite player that I picked all on my own- Craig Biggio would never wear anything but an Astros uniform. I thought it was unfair that Tom Glavine had to sign with the METS to keep playing baseball when he had only ever worn a Braves uniform. Most recently, when my childhood friend and hometown hero, Roy was traded from Houston to the Mets' bitter rival Phillies...my parents were happy I was on the beach in southern California so I didn't have to absorb such a heart wrenching blow. I'm a good sport though...the day I landed back in DC from California, I went to see Roy pitch against the Nationals. Baseball is a business. I tell myself that a lot more now that I see the end dates on Johan Santana and David Wright on contracts that unfortunately the Mets' owners- The Wilpons can't afford to retain. Baseball is a business.

I wish the business of baseball would actually make shirts for women in the MLB shops that fit our boobs...instead, they rape fans with special pink hats, shirts, and coffee mugs in the name of breast cancer research. I'm cynical about this because every time I think about how baseball is a business, I think about how ridiculous MLB treats it's female fans. Anyway....sorry...

Other winter developments left fans in Milwaukee, St. Louis and Boston also witnessing the loss of integral parts of their team. But, one of the biggest stories in the off-season didn't include a dollar amount though a price will definitely be paid. Ryan Braun, who famously mouthed off about Jose Reyes' not taking his final two at-bats in the middle of the batting crown race on the last day of the season (oh wait-was that just METS fans who knew that- my bad), won the National League MVP award. The Brewers said farewell to Prince Fielder and hello to a gozillion unanswered questions. Questions that the Commissioner of Baseball (Milwaukee's own Bud Selig) turned into a public relations platform for baseball's "toughest drug testing system in all of sports with an equally fair appeals process".
Ryan Braun got off on a technicality. Most baseball fans aren't also involved in the science of drug testing. I'm not either, but I do attend a seminar each year on drug testing in transportation-safety positions. There is nothing in urine that can cause a test to be positive- no matter how long it sits on a shelf. That being said, I believe in following protocol, but to then parade around the microphones claiming innocence has a potentially laughable reality in store for Mr. Braun. His attitude about the whole thing has been something most recently documented on MTV's The Hills. Spoiled? Entitled? Good Luck Ryan! I am sure the fans will not let you forget your technicality freeing positive drug test. Either that- of you have SUPER URINE.

The Mets moved the walls in...but so what- the BEST CHANGE AT CITI FIELD is that the walls are now blue...METS blue...not black. Thank you NY METS. You did do one thing before it was too late. One thing you didn't do before it was too late was honor Gary Carter. I kept thinking every home game after his diagnosis would be "Gary Carter Day". Then, listening to Keith Hernandez's voice crack until he broke down on SNY on the day of Carter's death cemented a player who never got the honor he deserved as a MET. He is immortalized in World Series Championship moment photos and in the lore of 1986. Who knows? Maybe his death will inspire a bunch of METS that no one thinks can even tough the bases to do something to make Ya Believe! They are the Amazins after all!

My farewell letter to Carlos Beltran

Baseball is a business. Ten years is how long it would take me as a kid to understand why my first favorite player, Nolan Ryan was pitching for that other team in Texas. As far as I knew, there was only the Astros. To me, he’s always an Astro. I have been spoiled. While Yankees fans celebrate the amazing Derek Jeter’s 3,000^th hit with accolades about him doing it with one team, I smile because they are probably so self-absorbed they act like he’s the only one to do it. I’m spoiled because I know what that’s like- to have your favorite player only play for your favorite team. When I was 11, Craig Biggio was in his second year and I was spending my summers just south of Houston and I was in love. His baby face, and his scrappy play (a catcher at the time) had me staying up every night to see if he would be interviewed on the late night news. In 6^th grade, I would draw hearts on my book cover with Biggio written inside. A young Roy Oswalt would pick on me for liking Biggio and the Astros both. I never knew enough about the business of baseball until later in life so it never occurred to me that Biggio might not be an Astro. Later, when Roy signed with the Astros, I thought he would be an Astro for life too. The relationship fans have with baseball players is love/hate. But not with your favorite players…with your favorite players, they are always going to come through, they are always going to make the diving catch, and they are always going to NOT play for your bitter rival. I was relieved when Craig Biggio retired as a Houston Astro. Obviously, when that happened, I was more averse in baseball politics and financial considerations and felt like I dodged a bullet.

Last year when Roy was traded to the dreaded rivals of the NY Mets, I got a dose of reality. Trying to marry the feelings of wanting him to win a world series with the feelings of how much I despise the Phillies turned out to be just as awful as I thought it would be. Torturous- like watching the Yankees and the Phillies in the World Series. So, I should be prepared for what’s about to happen. I should be, but I am not. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the moment Carlos will always be remembered for...striking out looking in Game 7 of the NLCS06. It was supposed to be different. Happen to another player- not Carlos. Not part of the heart and soul of the Mets...

Carlos Beltran was a Houston Astro and while I wasn’t surprised when he signed with the Mets, I also wasn’t a Mets fan when he signed with the Mets. But, when I was falling in love with the Mets in 2006, I was falling in love with a team that included (as Lucas Prada points out- not one Carlos, but two!), David Wright, Jose Reyes, Paul Lo Duca, Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner, Tom Glavine, etc. I remember Beltran in the 2006 NLCS hitting homeruns that sounded like cannons going off. I thought the Mets were perfectly amazin. I couldn’t believe I could love a team and the players on the team so much after just a few months of Bulldog dragging me to see them play at RFK and listening to the Fan at night. Carlos has never been one of my “favorite Mets” or baseball husbands. In fact, since Craig Biggio, it’s been hard for me to have a favorite player at all. Just look at the list of NY Mets I have proclaimed as my favorite- Fernando Tatis, Omir Santos, Ryan Church, Frenchy, Angel Pagan.,.and of course my boy Murph. On a team of superstars, I have gravitated towards the not-superstar player. But when I think about the last five years, I have slowly watched through trades or injury, the team I fell in love with dwindle away. The 2006 Mets were supposed to win it all in 2007 and again in 2008. A team with David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran was supposed to do it all. Now, they never will. Much maligned because of his insane contract, Carlos Beltran never deserved constantly be the poster child for bad contracts. He was an easy target because he made so much money, yet watched strike 3 blaze past him in the bottom of the 9^th in Game 7. A year later, I would read a story in the NY Times about how his wife had mis-carried their first child the day before, yet he never mentioned it for months. His professionalism and his well-documented mentoring of younger players and even his peers makes him golden.

When Beltran went outside the team’s purview to have knee surgery, I think most Mets fans sided with him instead of the team. He became the poster child for injury mismanagement by the Mets. Sometimes he looks like he is the last standing remnant of the 2006 team…when David and Jose were both out of the line-up, he was. And this year, he has provided flashes of greatness on a team that is made of guys who probably want to refer to him as Mr. Beltran. His renaissance this year makes me think of what could have been…what should have been. I jokingly referred to him as KNEES this season because I could never remember which knee was frail or had been operated on. Sometimes he looked like he was in pain rounding the bases, and other days, he was playing when the Mets said he would get days off. When the Mets were grinding, a dozen games under .500, guess who was NEVER not in the line-up…Carlos Beltran. Yes, he is playing so he can play again next year somewhere with a nice chunk of change, but he has given Mets fans so much to cheer in a dismal season.

When he hit the 2 run shot last night to tie the game, I got emotional and on the verge of a full out ugly cry thinking “I’m never going to hear Gary Cohen say ….and Beltran ties the game” again. In the end, Carlos didn’t give the Mets what he was paid to do- win a World Series. Now, a world series ring 5 years ago would not even make a dent in how I feel about him today. I wouldn’t be happier now if I was sporting a Championship shirt from 2006. I wouldn’t somehow feel like it was his time to go. I see Carlos exiting state left more as a “it’s a shame the Mets couldn’t have given you more Carlos”…not the other way around.

Inevitably, his departure will leave a gaping hole in the heart of this Mets fan, not because he was my favorite, but because he gave so much and because he was part of “the core” of a team I barely recognize anymore. I know it’s part of the game. I feel like I’m getting dumped by the prom king and he then goes and dances with a prettier girl. It stings. It sucks. And at the end of the day, I will cry when he’s traded, and I won’t know if it’s because it’s actually Carlos we are losing or if it’s just the beginning of a long goodbye to Jose Reyes…and eventually David Wright. I can’t completely segment the departure of Beltran out of the bigger picture. The reality that fans have emotional attachments to baseball players and they have none to us is not unique to baseball. But the day in and day out rigors of a baseball season means that there will likely be less than 24 hours between jersey changes for Carlos. Another fan base is going to be elated….their boos for Carlos will be turned into crazy applause and t-shirt sales. His new fans won’t know which knee is hurt either…and they won’t know just how special he is because they are just renting him to win a pennant. His new team won’t have the same love/hate relationship that he had with the Mets. They will mostly just love him. I will mostly just be heartbroken. I want to apologize to him and tell him that I’m sorry our fans boo’d him and that our doctors couldn’t fix him and that he deserved better. Of course, those things probably just matter to me. He is a professional. I will likely have to go through this dozens of times in my lifetime (if I’m lucky) and the baseball gods have been too good to me through the years so I’m paying the piper now as a Mets fan. But, if there is ever a day when one of the good guys on my team has to leave because my team failed, and I’m not sad…that’s the day I’ll stop loving baseball. The Wilpons (Mets owners) giveth and now they taketh away. But in Beltran, what they gave us was a star and a thousand wonderful memories. In this instance, what he gave us is so much more than whatever he leaves with. He will outclass any outfield he joins…hell any team he joins. And I will get used to hearing,….and tonight in right field ________.

Goodbye sweet Carlos. Love, me

Swirlywand Baseball Awards - Week 4

Fact: It's way more fun to reflect on the week that was...when the METS have a four game streak going. Fact: I don't love the Mets MORE this week than I did the dismal weeks before...that's not how I roll. I am slightly less crazy this last week...even though it didn't start out that way.

Things I learned this week: New York beat writers and bloggers are obsessed with the platoon phenomenon the METS seem to make an annual tradition. The release of Brad Emaus in favor of a Daniel Murphy/Phil Turner second base platoon has been in the "comment" section at the end of every game. I believe Daniel Murphy could turn 4 double plays, drive in the winning run in 3 games, and bat .500 and someone would still feel the need to pontificate on the "the decision at 2B"...For whatever reason, Mets fans feed into this journalistic point of view and at any given point on twitter, a Murph debate is raging. I know I have loved Daniel Murphy since he came up in 2008, and made to look like a fool on several occasions, but there seems to be a bandwagon forming...and yes, I'll be the first to remind everyone, I'm the queen of the Murph bandwagon.

Swirlywand Baseball Husband of the Week: It's nice to have a no-doubter in this category- DANIEL MURPHY. This kid has done EVERYTHING the METS have asked him to do...change positions 3 times, played winter league ball, rehabbed, been forced to make the team out of spring training every year, and once on the team, become the butt of countless jokes and jeers and boos from the faithful at Citi. Yet, he has never so much as mentioned frustration in his comments...he's always said "I will do whatever I can to help the team"....and that means going from the HR leader in 2009 and having all the accolades as a starter (a section in the team store!) to a certified "bench player"...He has handled his mishandling and misfortune with a great attitude and for the first three weeks of the season, he (along with Jose Reyes) seemed to actually give a damn. I'm even giving him his own award category this week!

That's My Murph Award: After bamboozling a couple of plays on Saturday, sweet Murph made an amazing play to end the 3rd inning in Sunday's broomstick bid. Is there anything more beautiful on defense than an across the body throw while falling to get a man out at 1st? I think not! Keep making plays like that Murph...and you'll prove Mets fans wrong! After all, you are supposed to suck worse than Castillo!

The Holy Roy Oswalt Award- Well, Roy flirted with a no-no on Thursday night....I was actually rooting for him...wasn't hard actually...it was easier than I thought. But, alas, the pitcher I'm giving this award to this week is actually no where near the same level as ROy O...but his performance this past week was 10000x more difficult than a no-hitter....Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mike Pelfrey- with an ERA higher than tornado warning count for Starkville, MS...and a mental roadblock that was causing him to overthink every breath out on the mound. MIke Pelfrey won his first game of the season, and he seemed to have that zip on his pitches that made him freaking amazing the first half of last year. Now, with a little confidence, I'm hoping good Pelf shows up in his next start.


The "Stay Classy San Diego" Award- Well, this week, it's actually going to the good folks in San Diego- after Roy's no-no was broken up, he received a nice ovation from the crowd at Petco...not rare in stadiums where baseball fans actually know something about baseball and appreciate rare feats or the attempt thereof. I was listening to the San Diego announcers on the radio and got a little teary eyed as they described the scene at Petco. Good job Roy- and even BETTER JOB- Padres fans!

Wait! Wait! Don't tell me... The Mets swept the Diamondbacks, not a good team....not a division team...not even the Nationals...
Okay- fine...I wouldn't have cared if we were playing the Anacostia Little League...the METS needed to dominate a team...dominate more than 1 game in a row...and thank God for the Arizona diamondbacks! But winning is contagious, and the Mets now come into WASHINGTON with some prosperity to build on...so I don't care if people devalue their winning streak because of the opponent...

The Aaron F****** Heilman Award- PLEASE - DJ CARRASCO- YOU ARE WORKING MY LAST NERVE...you and the kid Byrdak in the METS bullpen come out imitating AFH and Scott Schoenweis every other day...
Thank Goodness that Isn't My Team Award-
*** it's Easter...and I'm in too good of a mood to rag on another team***

Wand Rising: WELL, last week, I gave this to KNEES Beltran....and he did NOT disappoint- in fact, he and his KNEES celebrated a birthday today...and so far so good...I think it's safe to say the METS need to enjoy them while we can...get in contention- keep him around til the end of the year and let the chips fall where they may....But, this week...I'm giving the WAND rising award to an unlikely Met- Mr. Jason Bay. Not only did he do more in 3 games this season than it seemed he did ALL last season, but I think there mere fact he wasn't with the team during the dark sucking period actually put him in a better frame of mind than the rest of the lineup- thus he was able to contribute and get that contagious hitting/winning mentality going. I hope he continues to change my mind about him....

Wand Demotion Alert: HATERS. If you gave up on the mets 2 weeks ago, and you know who you are, then you are probably practicing hypocrisy right now....Patience and believing are two things required to love this team...I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of HATERS...I realize some Mets fans will never be happy, and controversy and misery are more fun to egg on...but maybe, just maybe, if we all stopped over-analyzing every decision and just BELIEVE without qualifying language...good things will happen.

Swirly Prediction for the upcoming week: LAST WEEK: What the hell! WINNING STREAK OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. <---- Well, who looks like a FREAKING GENIUS now...HAHAHA. It was worth a shot....so this week, I'm predicting that Daniel Murphy hits a homerun FOR ME at Nats Park....and that the METS actually win ONE series this week...

Parting thoughts...I love this team. That's all.

Swirlywand Baseball Awards- Week 3

The curse continues...last week's Baseball Husband- Chris Young went from probable to DL in the blink of an eye...My predictions failed miserably too except for the obvious- Jason Bay is still not back from the DL.

Things I learned this week: The 3rd week of the season felt like it lasted 3 months. I feel like I'm in mid-season form- already checking the NL East standings and worried about call-ups...but for all the wrong reasons this early in the season.
The Rockies are REALLY good and for all the grief they used to get for playing in a homerun friendly atmosphere, they came to the toughest ball park in the country and went derby on the Mets.
I really love baseball. I love the intersection of frustration and glimmers of hope. I love the communal if not universal (among fans) appreciation for the random nature of the game. My twitter time line would make Shakespeare proud in that the Mets fans have been through enough in the past five years to pull out comedic/sarcastic references for nearly every occasion.

Swirlywand Baseball Husband of the Week: I don't have the heart to curse another NY Met, and I honestly haven't watched enough baseball that is non-Met related to curse some poor soul on another team...but there is a tiny group of people who were my baseball heroes this week- the SNY gang in the booth. So, they don't suit up, and while I like other broadcasters to be objective, I found this past week's broadcasts to be very comforting because (esp) Gary and Ron talked an entire fan base through the psyche, the frustration and the circumstances of the Mets players. They sounded frustrated when I felt frustrated, and they offered great commentary on how to salvage any glimmers of hope. Kevin Burkhardt did an in-game update that brought tears to my eyes- not just the content, but because he sounded like he felt horrible for the team- the way a fan does, not the way an overzealous, "trying to get the story" reporter might condescendingly describe the same situation.

The Holy Roy Oswalt Award- I should probably give this to Jair Jurgens or one of the Rockies' pitchers, but the Mets make every pitcher look like Roy Oswalt these days.


The "Stay Classy San Diego" Award- Citizens Bank Park South aka Nationals Park. Yes, I remember when I once made a sign that said "Welcome to Shea Stadium- SOUTH" a few years ago during a weekend series when NY METS fans took over the stadium. Now, going to cheer against the Phillies at Nats Park is like being in Philly. Yes, if Nats had enough fans to go to games, this wouldn't happen...and yes, I know the weather was crappy and Nats fans can go any time (but Phillies fans had to come from Philly in monsoonal weather!). However, I followed along on twitter about the rude factor of the Phillies fans being out of control, especially during the first game when the phillies lost. But, the news that a Phillies fan punched out Thomas Jefferson during the Presidents' Race solidified my decision to remind Phillies fans to Stay Classy!


Wait! Wait! Don't tell me....The NY Mets are a disaster/circus/ _______. And while I may be blinded by orange and blue beams of light, I was not prepared for the amount of schadenfreude every radio host, sports reporter, and broadcasters are enjoying at the Mets expense. I suppose I don't blame them...Mets are an easy target, but there are two re-occurring themes in the commentary by outsiders that grates on me the hardest.
1) The Mets just need to hold on until Jason Bay comes back. LIKE JASON BAY IS THE METS SAVIOR! Was I high all last season? Do I have early onset dementia? What Jason Bay was so great for the Mets last year that his mere arrival will suddenly turn this team around? Not having the mysterious illness prone Jason Bay is NOT the reason the Mets are floundering (much like David Wright isn't the reason either...but he seems to be an easy target for Mets fans...). Okay, so he replaces Willie Harris....okay, then what? We replace mediocre with a higher priced promised superstar version of Willie Harris? Maybe the media just likes to harp on and remind Mets fans about another overpaid contract to a under-performing player so they bring Jason Bay up every chance they get.

2) Constant speculation in the Jose Reyes-to-Team-X sweepstakes. For the past six years, the media has been both enamored with the spark-plug and happy-go-lucky personality of Jose Reyes and critical of his "showboating/flaunting". To the latter, he has had an unfair amount of criticism for simply celebrating with his teammates and having fun- he's a baseball player not a surgeon. But now, the media can't stop speculating about which team would be SOOO lucky to get Jose- it's as if the only reason to cover the Mets at all is to throw it up in our face that this season is the long goodbye to one of our own. I'm in denial. My frustration the past week has been less about being the worst team in baseball, and more bitterness for the players complete lack of getting it together to keep JOSE...but they know better than I do that the end is inevitable and then they are left on a team with NO JOSE...what is the incentive? I know it's very "RUDY" of me to want a pre-game speech from Terry Collins that points out that our boys need to be playing TO KEEP THE TEAM TOGETHER- IN CONTENTION SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE JOSE. I know that would never happen, but when I see David miss a bare-hand throw to first or our outfield makes a boneheaded play or Emaus has another horrible at-bat....I'm screaming in my mind- "YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT JOSE AT ALL". Again, I'm completely irrational.

The Aaron F****** Heilman Award- DJ Carrasco? Mike Pelfrey? Heilman 3 or Heilman 4...or anyone in the bullpen who is not named Beatto. Even Pat Misch wasn't Awful this week, but he was sent down so we could keep the almighty, incapable of getting an out DJ CARRASCO...I know the Mets had to play 5 games in the span of 96 hours and that is brutal on a weak pitching staff, but our bullpen should be renamed after Heilman. You don't blow leads in 5 of 6 games in GRAND FASHION unless you have a bullpen that is smoke and mirrors. One blown lead a week is what a good team hopes for.

Thank Goodness that Isn't My Team Award-
Sarcastically, I'm glad the Rockies aren't my team....one loss on Saturday night, and rumors of injuries, slumps, and panic because Jim Tracy was 5 minutes late for his post-game presser...seems like an overreaction for the best team in MLB. I always thought Rockies fans were among the most sincere in baseball...they never give up, they stand behind their team when times are tough, and they are never obnoxious about success. But their irrational "the sky is falling" overreaction to ONE LOSS made me laugh. And then my brain cells churned out the following- success breeds entitlement and comfort. But the Mets fans benefit from another kind of breeding....epic failure. Epic failure, in this sense, breeds honesty and clarity. The Mets aren't really that good. But so what? The rest of baseball gets to say "at least we're not the METS"...and that's fine. There should be no expectation that Mets fans should just give up on their team though.

The Wand Says Bibbity, Bobbity, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:
The Atlanta Braves broadcasters (TV and RADIO) and Joe Buck....Seriously, was there a worst weekend for baseball for the METS off the field? Don Sutton is a southern, more jabbing version of Bob Carpenter. And a simple catch in the outfield by Jason Heyward is described as something suitable for a biblical reference.


Wand Rising: I'm giving a sentimental shout out for this week's Wand Rising award. Carlos "KNEES" Beltran takes a lot of grief from everyone....he's selfish, he is the reason for every bad thing that has ever happened since he struck out looking in Game 7 of the NLCS. He is the poster child for the old Mets front office's HUGE CONTRACT addiction and thus unless he won a World Series for the METS, it wouldn't matter what he was being paid- it would be too much. But, in this 3 week span, he has jumped in as a starter without the benefit of full spring training, he has so many accessories on his lower limbs, it's amazing he can even walk, and he played 3 games in less than 24 hours this weekend. I am sure he probably needed a game off, but desperate times require desperate measures and the exhaustive effort to ink ONE WIN IN A CALENDAR WEEK included a Beltran start. In my mind, I like to think that he made the decision to start all 3 games because he wants to set an example of strength and giving it all for the team. If Carlos can do it, you can do it.

Wand Demotion Alert: Dan Warthen. I usually feel like this must be the worst job in baseball- and I certainly don't do baseball strategy well enough to do pitching match-ups and in-game adjustments. But, he has a string of bad luck with the Mets pitchers that appears to be systemic instead of acute. There are too many miscues and either poor pitch selection or inability to throw the requested pitch.
Swirly Prediction for the upcoming week: What the hell! WINNING STREAK OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.

1 outta 3 Ain't Bad...

(okay, well, yes it is)....I figured I needed to get this post up about Opening Day at Citi field before I reached the 1 week mark, or the "oh wow, the mets haven't won a game in a week" mark and I might lose my early season, hopeful sparkle.

First, let me say that while this was my first Opening Day for the METS in New York...it came a week into the season, and after 2 pretty devastating losses against our hated rivals. I was a little down, I won't lie...and Bulldog and I were driving up in monsoonal rains so the whole day was kind of dreary to begin with. Bulldog, ever the optimist and desperately trying to appease my over-excited/roadtrip personality, made a dash ornament

Yes, that's scotch tape.

The closer we got to NYC, the less likely it was that we would go to Oceanside first and get the train and the more likely a sensible route straight to the ball park would happen. I don't know why Bulldog doesn't even like to get anywhere early and just enjoy the atomsphere...stand in line for whatever you want to do, etc...but on Opening Day, I shouldn't have had to beg so much. But, to his credit, he let me make the final decision...Early birds we would be!

My most favorite part of Shea was the Homerun apple...old, beat up, kind of arts-n-craftsy, and definately old! in 4 previous trips to Citi, not once did we get there in time to go find the old Homerun apple..so I was NOT letting up this time. Plus, it's right in front of Citi now, so it's hard TO MISS IT...I literally thought Angels were singing when I saw it. It's much smaller than I thought, but it was still grand. And Bulldog took the PERFECT picture of me in front of TWO things that make me smile even when I shouldn't! I was in pre-game, holy optimistic bliss.

I know I'm descriptive (emotional), loud (born that way!) and easily frustrated (have you seen this team play?!)...but my outlet to channel my overflowing and angst ridden fandom is the gift of Twitter. Bulldog always says that he's happy I'm part of the Mets fan base on twitter because he couldn't possibly be as attentive to my irrational grumblings as tweeps are...A couple of years ago, my friend Scott told me about the blog Metsgrrl...and I remember reading it for the first time, and sending it to Bulldog who immediately replied "OMG, it's like there is a YOU IN NYC"....So, we are both HUGE fans of Metsgrrl's blog probably more so than we are of metsblog and she's my twitter hero so of course, I wanted to meet her if I could...Bulldog said "let's find her!"...so off we went...to the Promenade Club where I actually used the term "Hi, I'm swirlywand"...I met Metsgrrl, Julie Rubes!, and CoreyinNY....the funny thing is that everyone was exactly as I pictured...I hate I missed Metschick though... the funny thing is that 2 of them asked about how I ended up a Mets fan..which I thought everyone knew by now...but mostly, I was happy that Corey didn't think I had a southern accent! LOL 11 years, but finally someone from NYC doesn't think I have an accent...file that in things I NEVER thought would happen.

I wanted to be in our seats for the introduction of players. I felt the need to cheer extra loud for Murph of course, and Angel...but I wanted to hear the reaction to K-Rod....is it a bit schadenfreude-est to want to see someone in charge of CLOSING OUT wins for MY TEAM get boo'd without mercy? I should want everyone behind him...maybe that would help...but for a moment, even on Opening Day, I wanted to see him hear just how MUCH HE SCREWED UP when he beat up his girlfriend's father last year. I know it doesn't change anything, but after I got my BOO out, and captured it on video, I was ready to move on.


Our Opening Day game versus the Nationals was pretty much a set up for frustration from the beginning. The Nationals always play the mets tough, and they have this misguided notion that they are someone rivals of the Mets...but Mets fans don't see it that way because we like to think we're better than the Nationals. But, lately, we've been battling the Nationals for the cellar ranking more than the other 3 teams in our division for a piece of the pie. I just saw this game on the schedule and knew that we would not be lucky enough to win...

there were a few high points...but not on Opening Day....the best part of Opening Day besides meeting tweeps, enjoying ball park food, and not getting rained on WAS THE MR. MET BOBBLEHEAD promotion. And this is no cheap bobblehead..it's full ceramic , heavy, bobble bliss. He gets to keep me company at work, and even did a little FACETIME with our favorite Venezuelan baseball journalist! Mr. Met now sits on the 2007 Mr. Met mousepad Bulldog brought me after I couldn't go with him to a game at Shea during the collapse. I should have burned it after that season....


So, we lost in grand "of course Pudge who hasn't had a hit all year would get one against the Mets" fashion. Unfortunately, my iphone was i-no-service during Opening Day...I couldn't even get a text through the system. But there was so much "this only happens to the mets" going on that I took out my trusty iphone and wrote out a list of "things I wanted to tweet" and emailed them to myself..So here they are..LOL...

After fucking pudge gets first hit of the year... It occurred to me that the only pitcher left for mets is KROD (YIKES!)

OH AND APPARENTLY NO ONE CAN THROW STRIKES

AND JAYSON WERTHLESS CONES UP TO bat.. I think OF COURSE... OF COURSE IT IS HIS UGLY ASS ....

Just fucking finish me off mets... Bring KROD in to just to make this perfectly sucky

I did not boo Bobby Parnell

We are staying til bitter end BULLDOG...don't even think it!

Did they put murph in just to torture me? (Editor's note from 4/13- I thought that having Murph come in just to then be the last batter of the game was torture)

Alas, the torture was over....and while the Saturday night game with the two Beltran homeruns would be memorable...the sour taste left after the Sunday blown save debacle is still lingering.

here are a few photos from the weekend...
The beauty of Citi is that it has the same location and flight paths as Shea Stadium...I love love love watching planes fly from LaGuardia and JFK over the park. The big planes fly over the outfield and my lil turbo and RJs fly over the home plate area. I love watching and hearing the planes fly over.




Okay- Saturday night and the moon was out....and Bulldog and I bundled up with handwarmers leftover from the JETS season and off to Angel's outfield we went filled with hope and endless optimism. But for our good fortune on Friday with seats not next to someone who has never been to baseball game before ran out, and Saturday night we were seated next to the METS fans your parents warn you about....the d-bags, the assholes, and the guys who yell out inappropriate things in front of children.

After a couple of trips to the team store, and nachos grande line standing, and 2 mildly chocolate flavored hot waters, we walked down to the field level to see if KROD could in fact not suck. He's my team's closer...I have to WANT HIM to not suck...but as he walked a batter...and the crowd grew antsy.,..I found myself wanting him to fail....I am so conflicted about him. But, good Lord....what was this...a KROD save?

Mets won. I slept 9 hours. Back to Citi we went...

On Sunday we sat directly behind homeplate in the 400 section...and honestly, why wait in lines for food in the outfield when you can do everything but Shake Shack and the Tacqueria in the promenade! YES PLEASE! I'll take one of everything...and what is this fried dough thing I keep seeing? WITH POWDERED SUGAR- take me away. We do not have this in the "everything we cook can be fried" South...but we should. And cinnamon...Yes please!

Chris Young is a beast of a man. He looks like a giant from all the way up in the 400 section....I took a picture of what most Mets fans would have remembered before the Bullpen gave up his nice 1 hit lead....
HIS FREAKING 1000.00 BATTING AVERAGE TO START THE GAME! :-)
Seriously, I felt horrible for Young...as I do most of our starting pitchers...they pitch to their arm nearly falls off, and then our bullpen comes in and can't throw a strike or get a groundball out. It's pathetic and it's really souring how I feel about this team of really good players who are at the mercy of a HORRENDOUS pitching staff.

I'm not recapping the end of the Sunday game....if you are dying to know what happened, there are 400 other places you can read about that. But suffice to say my heart broke a little. I know that's dramatic....no one died, Bulldog and I arrived back in DC safe and sound...there are people around the world dealing with actual heartbreak, loss of life, nuclear blah blah blah....I'm so lucky that the source of my sadness is a team that in the grand scheme of things means nothing.

I know, of course, what happened the past two nights....but I'm not going torture myself with more bullpen follies.

The season is still young, and I still believe...