Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Great Tongues In History

Brains...Beauty...Status...Song...Poetry...All right, maybe not quite poetry in the truest sense of the word...but compared to some of the starts that the back end of the rotation has seen lately, Mike Pelfrey looked like Lord Tennyson out there...especially with the blazing fastball that vanquished Paul Bunyan's twin with runners on base to end the fifth inning.

Fear the tongue.

But there was some troubling news out of the Great American Ballpark: In addition to the Reds holding raffles Tuesday night for Carlos Delgado autographed baseballs even though his uniform says "NEW YORK", apparently...according to my sources who were at the Mets/Reds game tonight sitting so high in the upper deck they were in Kentucky...there are still people out there that not only insist on performing the insufferable "wave", but perform it at the absolute worst time.

Like when Carlos Beltran was up with the bases loaded and the Mets up by a run.

Now I know that this wound up with a good result for the Mets...historic even. But it's troubling that we as baseball fans can't put an end to abolish this frequently misused disaster known as "the wave". I say...if you insist on waving during a key moment in the game with your team on the field, then you deserve what you get. So to the thirteen year old girl in the stands who threw her peanuts (with shells) at the Met fan taunting you with the Carlos Beltran jersey immediately after the grand slam: You need to sit down and look in the mirror with the reflection of your fellow Reds fans staring back at you for the reason that you're miserable. You see, the real issue is deep down in your dark soul...and you're giving all of us a bad name by performing the wave like lemmings just because other fans did it in 1984. If other baseball fans jumped off a bridge in 1984 would you do it too?

Sit down and watch the damn game.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd love to get all high and mighty about the wave, but [shudder] don't they do it at Shea also?

There are two classes of fans - those who go to see a baseball game, with all of it's beauty, artistry and drama, and those who go to a giant party, a kind of a lame rave. Maybe the thing to do is to separate them.

Maybe the NY Mets should play their games here in Binghamton. The stadium seats around 6,500. Entry should only be granted to true baseball fans. The Binghamton Mets can take their two mascots (Buddy Bee and Ballwinkle), their fireworks, their "Blues Brothers" appearances, their T-shirt cannons, and the silly bat dance to Shea, which has a better PA system and will make for a better party. In fact, they can open Shea every night - with or without a baseball game actually going on. Nobody would notice anyhow.

My photo of "the tongue" is still available for your viewing pleasure:
Pelfrey and other pix

Unknown said...

I applaud the anti-wave sentiment. I was at the Reyes cycle game last month and I wanted to smack all of the idiots doing the wave in the 8th inning of a one-run game.

Elliot Smilowitz said...

About three years ago I developed a theory that when a home crowd does the wave while the road team is batting, the road team will score at least a run that inning. Since then, I've been to about 25 games spread among four stadiums (stadia?), and it's yet to fail me, even if the wave begins with none on and two out. It's like the home crowd is just willing the pitcher to not care.

So that's why I'm all for the wave when I go to games at RFK or Citizen's Bank.

Ed in Westchester said...

Time to wave it bye-bye.
Nice performances last night. Made me happy.
I needed it what with the crap hitting the fan for my hockey team.

Anonymous said...

I was at the game last night with your "source." I think I blacked out from the lack of oxygen at that altitude, but when I came to, a bunch of red-shirted morons were doing the wave. I was thoroughly embarrassed.

All said, Eric Milton (aka the human launching pad) pitched a pretty good game. They just left him in two pitches too long.

Go Reglegs.

-Nate in the 'Nati

Anonymous said...

I went to Glavine's start at Wrigley on Saturday. After the cubs went up in the 6th, a drunkard and two lackies attempted to start the wave in the upper deck.

"C'mon we're gonna do the wave! Ready! Goooooooooo!....OK Ready! Goooooooooo!......."

Everyone ignored them for 5 minutes and then security made them sit down.

The Cubs suck, but their fans are ok in my book.

Anonymous said...

I, too, hate and despise the wave. To me it isn't any kind of expression of enthusiasm (not any more), it's just "we're bored".

I used to blame it on the upper deck but lately, i've watched it start on the field level seats and the loge....

...but that could still be "we came here to watch david wright's ass but this game is taking too damn long" or "the mets are the hot team so we're here, but we really don't LIKE watching baseball" or "why didn't anybody tell me they were going to shut off the beer?" because those people do have money to spend on the more expensive seats.

the day of the doubleheader, some woman one section over kept trying to start the wave, and then launched into a tirade about how we were all lame and not real fans. i had to be restrained.

"no, really, i can take her all by myself."

Anonymous said...

I, too, hate and despise the wave. To me it isn't any kind of expression of enthusiasm (not any more), it's just "we're bored".

I used to blame it on the upper deck but lately, i've watched it start on the field level seats and the loge....

...but that could still be "we came here to watch david wright's ass but this game is taking too damn long" or "the mets are the hot team so we're here, but we really don't LIKE watching baseball" or "why didn't anybody tell me they were going to shut off the beer?" because those people do have money to spend on the more expensive seats.

the day of the doubleheader, some woman one section over kept trying to start the wave, and then launched into a tirade about how we were all lame and not real fans. i had to be restrained.

"no, really, i can take her all by myself."


our sound system is DEFINITELY better than That Place In The Bronx.

Anonymous said...

The greatest place to do the wave is the Big House at the University of Michigan. Imagine 112,000 people doing it? It's a great site. On the other hand, we only do it when the football team is up by at least 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. It's just silling to do it in 1 run games.

Also, I was at a game this year where the wave started in section 1 of the Upper deck. Thats in the freaking middle of the stadium. Can anyone explain that to me? It's also annoying that the girl who tryed to start it stood up so she blocked the view of home plate for the entire section. Not to mention the Mets were losing.

Anonymous said...

OK, OK. A Lord Tennyson reference just above a "wave" reference?!? You are the master. And yes, I seem to recall '84 as the year of wave inception at Shea - I think I first saw it on a Banner Day doubleheader against the Cubs. I also remember McCarver railing against it on just about every broadcast. While we're on the subject, what ever happened to Banner Day?

Do you realize that the Braves are pulling for the Mets to sweep the Reds right now? We are officially in the bizarro world. Anyone else concerned about playing the Padres in the postseason? I would hate to root against Piazza. Go Dodgers.