Monday was the first day off of the season. Ugh a day without Mets baseball. After a weekend of decent baseball from the Mets its tough to wait another day to go by before we watch the Mets take on Philly.
With being a baseball lifer I really don't immerse myself in watching other sports during the season. My partner in crime Mets fan 73 is a Ranger fan. He wakes up happy today since the Rangers won. Besides baseball I have a passion for music. I enjoy concerts and been going to concerts since the mid 80's. On long island you can get a venue like the Nassau Coliseum that holds over 15,000 or down to a bar setting.
Last night I went to the Boulton Center in Bay Shore to catch a concert on the Mets nite off. Never been there before. It is a converted move theatre. It seats like 250 people. Last year the Gin Blossoms played acoustic there and I wanted to go not so much for them but I wanted to check out the venue. Well last night Toad the Wet Sprocket played there and I have to tell you the acoustics there rock. Glen Phillips and the band played for like 75 minutes and it was like watching a band in a converted garage. The sound was so crisp and they were pretty good. There a bit mellow for me but hey you know its live so I went with it.
It was a great way of spending the nite and they even did a meet and greet after the show to chat with obviously some hard core fans. The Boulton center is pretty amazing and if you get the chance go see a show there. The Machine is playing there later next week. Might just have to go.
Oh and the tie in to the 86 Mets? Same year the band formed. Who I found out opened for Debroah Harry on there first tour. No video from last night which is a shame but some Glenn Phillips as we wait tonights Met game.
A thank you goes out to Jeffey Loria for his assist in helping the Mets win a road series to start the season. Loria signed Javier Vazquez to a 1 year 7M deal this past off season. The Mets used him up and made it look like batting practice as they scored 7 runs in just over2 + innings against him and the lousy fielding of the fish.
After a couple of decent games in the field the Marlins defense blew up yesterday. A couple of bone headed plays by Bonafacio and the Mets came out of Sun Life Stadium with 2 wins in the 3 game set.
Last year they didnt win a road series until playing the Pirates in August. It wasnt very easy for Dickey though who seemed to uncharacteristically walk a bunch of Marlins in his 6 innings. Dickey did have to deal with a swirling wind during the game which of cause can play with his knuckler.
Jose Reyes went 2 for 6 yesterday. Reyers who is concerned with his on base perecentage did not walk at all during the Marlins series not even against the control problems of Vazquez who he faced twice.
The Mets take on the Phillies on Tuesday with ChrisYoung against Cole Hamels who beat the Astros 3 straight to start the season.
Former Mets killer, Willie Harris, who was signed by the Mets this past off-season, has made the decision by the Mets seem like a genius move.
Harris today hit his first Mets HR in plating the first two Mets runs in a 9-2 Mets walloping of the Marlins.
Harris is batting .400 with 1 HR and 4 RBI thus far this season. He is a defensive option late in games he hasn't started, and is showing thus far this early season that his bat will not hurt this team.
Harris who had a history of killing the Mets with his glove when he was with Atlanta and Washington, has helped the Mets tremendously in the early goings of the 2011 season. The Mets took 2 of 3 from the Fish, opening the season at a respectable 2-1 on the road.
The Mets take their traveling show to Philadelphia on Tuesday where they will face the National League Champion Phillies, who swept the Astros this weekend.
It is a long season, and being Mets fans we know how long seasons can be, but the Mets are off to a nice start, and Willie Harris has gone a long way towards the early season success.
Brad Emaus, the 25 year old Rule 5 pick of the Mets, and starting second baseman already needs the day off after playing two consecutive games, and Daniel Murphy will get his first professional start at second base.
I hope Terry Collins doesn't manage the Mets the way Bobby Valentine did, where many of the regulars (like Piazza) would always have Sunday off. At 25 and with two pro games under his belt, there is no way Emaus should get a blow.
RA Dickey will make his first start of 2011, coming off a surprising 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA in the 2010 season. The Mets will look for Dickey's multiple knuckle balls to baffle the Marlins today.
It didnt take long for the Mets skipper to achive a vicotry as the Met manager. Game#2 was an intense battle but the Mets won after K Rod Blew a save in the 9th by scoring 3 in the 10th as the Mets beat the Fish 6-4.
Collins used basically his entire bench sans Nickeas as he did in game #1. Which makes you think that if your on the Mets bench, be ready to get into the contest.
Jon Niese had a rough 1st inning but made it through 7 on 86 pitches when pulled and giving up just the 2 runs in the first. Collins thought that the rough 1st inning was why the manager took him out after only 86 pitches. Every move that Collins made didnt backfire.
Bobby Parnell pitched a really good 8th inning. K Rod blew the save in the 9th but the Mets rallied with 3 hits in the 10th from Reyes,Pagan and lookie me Mr CLutch David Wright. Super sub Willie Harris plated 2 with a double.
Blaine Boyers achieved his 2nd save of his career. Collins said after the game about how intense it was that this is baseball. The Mets played hard and didnt give up. A good game for the Mets and they go for the rubber game of the 3 with R A Dickey on the mound today.
Opening night was a dud for Terry Collins Mets. The Manager who loves talking about confidence talked about how his team went up against a tough pitcher after the 6-2 loss to the Fish. "I thought the guys hung in there, played hard, I wasn't deflated at all," Collins said. "It was one of those nights. We just ran into a really, really good pitcher. Why do i have a sneaking feeling this will be his line alot this year.How about the fact that his so called fill in ace cant even get a strike out when needed.
Pelfrey started off the game with a 10 pitch at bat with Chris Coughlin that led to walk. Even though Pelf calmed down after the first, he couldn't put away the Marlins new free agent catcher John Buck and gave up a grand slam on a pitch high and away and that became a 4-0 deficit.
Pelfrey, who never seems to do well in Florida, never seem to find a pitch that would duck under the Marlins bats in his 4 + innings of work. He recorded 2 strikeouts only from striking out the opposing pitcher.
Willie Harris save the Mets in the 7th after they had been no hit for 6 innings by hitting a double. Beltran doubled him home with 1 out. Beltran was given some goofy praise from Collins after the game about him looking fine running back as homers sailed over his head. Give me a break.
New Met Scott Hairston had chance to tie game up in the 7th when he pinch hit with runners on and 2 out . He took some aggressive swings against the Marlins 93mph left reliever Dunn who struck him out
Our buddy David Wright did nothing and is on pace for 300+ strike out season by striking out his 1st and 2nd time up against Johnson.
It is only the first game but Collins thinks the Mets ooze confidence and will forget about this loss quickly. Lets see what happens tonight against Ricky Nolasco.
Here is a little Chris Rock humor to help you get through the first Mets loss. Not one of his better segements I will admit.
