Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Light Reading

I was aghast, just as Gary Cohen was apparently, that the only fielder to make an error to make an error during Steve Trachsel starts this season (before tonight), was Trachsel himself.

Yes, the same Steve Trachsel who lulls infielders to sleep with his turtle-like pace.

It got me thinking...what kind of zen have the Mets been practicing for Steve Trachsel starts this season?

And that's when it hit me...didn't we learn on Sunday's broadcast that Brad Ausmus' father is an acclaimed author? Didn't he write a book called "The Bobby Howryian critique of Ichiro's thought"?

That has to have been it.

Well after tonight's debacle, a 5-0 loss to the bunt-happy Atlanta Braves, it looks like Phil Jackson is going to have to assign some new required reading. Perhaps "A Frog Named Hop" by former Anaheim Mighty Duck Todd Ewen.

A note regarding tonight's game: Tonight is the sixth and final game in the Mets ticket plan known as the "Champions Pack", advertised as games that featured champions from 2005...little did we know that all the games featured at least one champion from the current season. I was set to be there tonight with a buddy of mine, but that buddy's son, who's a mighty fine young baseball player named Caleb, really wanted to go with his father to see his beloved Mets.

Metstradamus is not about breaking up families. And Metstradamus will not be responsible for making Caleb so angry and resentful that he grows up to be a Yankee fan. So Caleb, enjoy the game with your father...and my compliments. (And when you grow up to be Major League Baseball's next great infielder, I hope that you remember the contributions of Metstradamus enough to leave him free tickets whenever your team comes to Shea. And I promise not to boo you.)

I have a feeling Caleb and dad will thoroughly enjoy tonight's game one way or the other, and here's why: If you take a look at the first five games of the plan, some exciting moments have taken place...mostly good:
  • May 5th vs. Atlanta: David Wright's walk off in the fourteenth inning off of Jorge Sosa.
  • May 20th vs. the Yankees: Billy Wagner's meltdown (remember, I said "mostly" good.)
  • July 21st vs. Houston: John Maine pitches a shutout.
  • August 9th vs. San Diego: Mike Piazza blasts two moonshots in a Mets victory.
  • August 22nd vs. St. Louis: Delgado's slam, and Beltran's walk off vs. Jason Isringhausen.

As you can see so far, it's been a five-pack certainly worthy of champions. Tonight is game six. Caleb, you have a tough act to follow but I have faith in you. Good luck, and let's resume the magic number chase, shall we?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey - leave Chuck Connors alone. He played for two major league teams - the Dodgers and Cubs. He has a career stolen base percentage of 1.000. How can you hate him? He and I share the same birthday, and the year that I was born was the year that he quit baseball to pursue his career in acting.

BUMP HIM FROM THE HATE LIST IMMEDIATELY!

Toasty Joe said...

Remember when Gary told Keith the title of Ausmus's dad's book, and Keith disdainfully spat out "NIETZSCHE?!?" I thought that was hilarious.

Anonymous said...

OJ is Innocent! Rasceists have framed an innocont man!

You commies!

Anonymous said...

The July 21 game also saw Uncle Cliffy's amazing catch where he pulled a homer back into the park.

And why do I remember? Because I missed the catch, seeing only the hotdog vendor I unwisely hailed down seconds earlier.

But, lemmee tell you, I've never gotten such applause just for having exact change in my life.

My 15 seconds.