Saturday, May 12, 2007

At Least Pete Goes To Barbados

This was not the way that my first game at Shea was supposed to go.

But at least the seats were good.

Actually, that's a severe understatement, the seats were unbelievable! To give you an idea of how good these seats were that were basically field level right behind the plate, the seat number started with an "X" to give you the feel that you were going to a trendy club.

(Actually, those blue seats that were added in front of those original orange seats behind the plate are like going to the club since they were actually chained off. All that was missing were the bouncers that kept you away from the models...just ushers that popped up out of nowhere like they were in a jack in the box to keep people out of those seats in the eighth inning after the cat was already let on to the porch at 9-3. Aah, ushers.)

The seats came courtesy of a commenter we know as "Kingman Fan", who I had the pleasure of meeting through the poetically indestructible Greg Prince, who I had finally had the pleasure of meeting in person (for those wondering if two bloggers getting together would create a more powerful and ground-breaking perspective the likes of which have never been seen before, all we really decided was that maybe Mike Pelfrey needs another trip to New Orleans...and he really didn't need me for that.) Now when I say "Kingman Fan", I really mean it. He had the authentic "KINGMAN 26" authentic jersey to prove it. He'll be happy (or disturbed) to know that he was not the last Met fan I saw today with a Kingman model, as another authentic Kingman authentic popped up at the Roosevelt Ave. train stop while transferring after the game.

(But the winner of today's "jersey you don't see every day" contest goes to the guy with the powder blue Milwaukee Brewer "VUKOVICH 50" jersey. Dude, you win. And did you know he played Clue Haywood in "Major League"?)

Unfortunately, the 1982 references weren't done there, as the Brewers and Mets both played like their 1982 counterparts, which is to say that they played like the American League Champs that they were and we...well we had Dave Kingman. Pelfrey was the Mike Scott of the group, and not the Mike Scott that had learned his "split fingered fastball" (which was a middle fingered fastball in the '86 NLCS), but the Mike Scott that was nicknamed "the human white flag" back in '82. Pelfrey didn't get a whole lot of help from his defense, which somehow turned a fourth inning Prince Fielder pop-up with the bases loaded into a double play, but not before Craig Counsell and Tony Gwynn Jr. tagged up and scored while the Mets were infatuated with getting J.J. Hardy out on the basepaths.

And really, even though the Brewers opened the spigots with eight more runs including Hardy's grand slam against Joe Smith, the game was over after the Mets "Hardy Boy Mystery" in the fourth (first and last time for that reference...promise). Not even David Newhan's pinch home run brought the crowd fully back into the game, as the prevailing thought was that the game should have at least been tied after the botched rundown. But Newhan's home run did send a guy named Pete to Barbados as it was the hometown home run inning, so somebody besides the Brewers fans in the stands went home completely happy.

***

Here are some things I learned for being at Shea for the first time this season. Some things most of you know (since I hope you've all taken at least one trek out to Shea before me in '07), others you may not:
  • The bleachers are roped off into sections now. 50, 52, 54, 56, and I think 58 (kind of like jersey sizes, but they're actually a continuation of the upper deck sections). The bleachers is one spot that I have yet to sit in, because it's exclusively either group sales (I don't have that many friends), or Pepsi can night (I'm a Coca-Cola guy). So that's my mission before Citi Field takes its initial bow.
  • Speaking of the new park, it has now become officially bizarre to see scaffolding directly behind the outfield. I thought it was weird when it happened in Cincinnati, especially since they tore down the outfield stands of Riverfront Stadium while construction for the Great American Ballpark was happening while the Reds still played in the old cookie cutter. But to see it behind Shea is just totally mind boggling and surreal.
  • What is with the spinning Dunkin Donuts coffee cup in the left field bullpen which spins after a home run? It's gotta be the most out of place product placement gimmick ever. But knowing the way our franchise works sometimes, I could totally see that thing following us to the new park, while the Home Run Apple gets left behind or put on eBay because some think it's cheesy. This possibility scares me to death.
  • This next thing was also noted here, but I can say it too because I came up with it all on my own, I promise. But do you find it weird that after a fan was banned from Shea Stadium for shining a light into Edgar Renteria's eyes, the Mets have Flashlight day? (I heard that the Mets are going to have reflective mirror night in June, sponsored by Dunkin Donuts of course.)
  • During the fateful eighth inning, I ran to the food line behind the plate. I thought there was a really long stoppage of play because there were loud commercials hawking concerts and what not on the television screen. But while I was listening to that thinking I wasn't missing anything, Joe Smith hit Gabe Gross. And I had no idea the game was even going on. Can we turn down the commercials on the concourses while the game is going on, please? Dopey people like me get confused.

***

Sunday is Chris Capuano vs. Oliver Perez, and the Mets had better find a way to bounce back and take two of three from Milwaukee. Because, to paraphrase our ticket benefactor Kingman Fan, they're running out of body parts to shave.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Working on a Saturdays sucks, particularly when you're listening on the FAN to your Mets as they make a great comeback attempt. So, clocks ticking and I hop on the F Train at Fort Hamilton and the Mets are behind one run. (I try to erase the image of Wright getting thrown out at 2nd, but I can't.) Score's 4-3. Then I get to Columbus Circle, run 4 blocks to my office, push the revolving door, and, Wham, I'm greeted by a delighted Yankee fan who informs me it's botton of the 9th, 12-3, Brewers. I feel like calling in sick only I can't cause its my supervisor, the Yankee fan, who's smiling cheek-to-cheek as the doors keep on spinning! What the heck am I supposed to do, Metstradamus???
:(
Bulldog Dad.

Metstradamus said...

Bulldog,

I suggest faking a stomach ailment on the spot, and telling your supervisor you can't work anymore that day. If your supervisor doesn't believe you, throw up on their shoes.

I've heard that works.

Mike said...

Well if we're journeying back to the early-80s, why not bring on the real pain, Metstra?

Our shortstop did take the collar, so Doug Flynn anyone? Kingman played 1B in '82, so I can't bust out the Willie MOntanez comparison for our somewhat aged .216 hitter. Ar least carlos could go with some flair on his catches to keep things interesting.

Oh, and Pelfrey needs to hit New Orleans faster than Katrina did.

(It's not too soon anymore, is it? I mean, it'll be 2 years in August. Am I a bad man?)

Toasty Joe said...

I'm looking forward to the day when Mike Pelfrey is the only member of the Zephyrs with a buzz-cut.

Anonymous said...

Heading to Shea today - my first game of the year. Didn't like reading in the paper the the Brew crew has yet to lose with Capuano on the mound.

Not looking forward to driving/parking there either - I should leave, like, now, right?

Ceetar said...

first to unser, who hopefully has left for the game already as it starts in 40 minutes. The remaining part of the real lot actually wasn't filled until almost game time at the last 3 home saturday games, and so many people mass transit it there now that the traffic's not as bad.


I have a lot to say(as is usual when I talk or write about the Mets).

I've only one or twice had 'really good seats' to Mets games, and none recently, and never where you sat, so congrats. that's really cool. I was sitting in my typical saturday season plan pack seats, UR section 15, row G.

You can't really appreciate Citifield as much from the field level, as you can't see it as well. If you are up higher you can see the start of the stairs and ground under the field level seats, as well as the place where the entry rotunda is going to go. They've also recently added one of the bridges in the outfield that are going to be part of the design of the stadium, which looks pretty cool.

Were the bleachers roped off? I didn't notice yesterday but I know they haven't been at the other 5 games I went to this year. I don't think they're doing Pepsi nights this year, but Flushing Flash(one of the Mets newsletters you can subscribe to) has letting fans in on a couple of Wednesday nights for $10. I sat there once years ago in Little League, It's great for batting practice.

That coffee cup is pretty lame, and I agree, they better keep the apple. I wonder if we all get coffee if someone hits it though? Speaking of which, does Keyspan still have that $100k promotion if a player homers off the sign?

Those annoying advertising signs are only on the field level(and I think only on the third base side?) Shea is horrible at broadcasting/announcing the game throughout the concourses, I hope they fix that at Citifield. Did you also notice how there is virtually no free stuff to sign up for throughout the stadium? No silly gimmicks or raffles or anything. The field level doesn't even have the credit card apps anymore.

I remarked on the flashlight thing too, but that's probably why we didn't get batteries with the things right?

I'll stop now before my comment gets as long as the post..hehe.

Anonymous said...

If the homerun apple goes on Ebay, mabye we can have all the Bloggers pitch in. Just a thought. Set it up somewhere, with a webcam on it. Maybe the apple can pop out of its hat when certain people update their website. Just not Cerrone, he posts too much.