I, Mets Fan

BASEBALL ALL-STAR FANFEST SUNDAY-7/13

2008-07-16T00:29:00.000-07:00

walking in to the jacob javitz center, 3:45 on a sunday, the whole space is abuzz with excitement and activity!
i first went to visit the awards...i saw them all: rookie of the year, silver slugger award, cy young, world championships, MVP, the roberto clemente award and so on...
The Roberto Clemente Award
The Silver Slugger Award
American League MVP
Rookie of the Year Award

I CAN'T DO THIS

2008-07-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

as you can see...i stopped blogging in april. and while i enjoyed posting my entries and writing about myself and the mets everyday, i came across a blog where a female mets fan was doing the same as i, only better. so i had to stop. instead, enjoy the game and everything i love about baseball...i will still post things about baseball...from a mets fan perspective.

i hope you understand. my mission: to be the only blogger to discuss both my personal and life and the mets, has aborted...again, had i not seen this woman's blog, chances are, i would still be doing this.

Mets Rained Out! Make up game in August...

2008-04-28T19:58:00.003-07:00

METS: had day off due to rainy times.

Mets Are 3-3 Against Aces Around the League

2008-04-21T20:25:00.001-07:00

ME: felt wobbly and ill all day. kept running to the bathroom. felt weak. my boss' first full day back. he was gracious enough to give me a raise and healthcare! {interesting to note, writing this on 8/8/08, he never gave me healthcare and fired me} felt really good. mad busy. went home. watched the Mets with becky and then a movie. did some art...finally...

sunday

2008-04-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

ME: woke up feeling stressed and sore. my stomach is so not good. my back is killing me and i have this overwhelming feeling once again that i have a ton of stuff to do and no real time for myself. want more time with becky and am slowly going nuts. i'm depressed and anxious throughout the whole day. can't concentrate and just want to relax.

Mets Beat Weak Phils AGAIN!

2008-04-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

ME: woke up late. went home and did resume work. pretty annoying. went back to becky's mom's for dinner and to watch Reds. fun film...excellent story. my stomach is messed up beyond belief. i keep running to the bathroom and feel very dehydrated. not fun.

METS: today, Perez did his thing against old Jamie Moyer and the Phillies, winning 4-2. Perez was strong going five and 2/3, striking out seven despite control issues and walking five. he allowed no runs. Reyes, Church and Wright all went 2-4, Wright and Reyes each had two RBI and Reyes, two runs scored. the Phillies wound up leaving 12 men on base! what suckers! well, apparently they aren't the team they mean to be without their precious J-Ro, who incidentally came in to pinch hit with two men on and popped up. LET'S GO METS!

Mets Rock the House!

2008-04-16T20:14:00.001-07:00

FRIDAY-Mets Beat Trash-Talkin' Phillies:

ME: started my day by going to my therapist in the morning. worked hard all day and my boss came back...finally. he has been through a lot and i worry about he and his wife, but for now, he's a million times better and ready to get working again. although...he should probably just rest! went to a pal's roof party then to my pal, bo's b-day gathering. it was a fun night and i stayed up way too late. becky, sick for a bit now, advised me to not to go to her mom's so she could sleep, but i didn't listen and wound up over there at about 5AM. i had a medicine she needed to take and wanted her to have it. the rood party was fun and i spoke with good people. the royale, b-day thing was odd--mad drama for no reason and all i wanted to do was hang and have good times. i did regardless. philly jen came into town and tomorrow is her b-day...so i got her a b-day drink and shmoozed with peeps. it was a fun night and release for such a hectic crazy week. was good to talk to people and i had fun talking about film schools with people on becky's behalf.

METS: the Mets beat the Phillies, in Philadelphia, 6-4. Wright went 4-4 with two RBI and a run. Santana gave up three runs (one a home run to Utley), but struck out 10 in seven innings of work. He looked stronger than his start at Shea. Wagner got his 3rd save as the Phillies' big bats were silent the whole game: Howard went 0-4 as did Feliz. Stupid Pat Burrell was 1-4 and the rest of the Phillies look lost without their precious J-Ro. Church went 2-4 with three runs scored and Schneider went 3-4 with an RBI. the witless Phillies had only five hits to the Mets' 11. the Mets are now 9-6.

THURSDAY-Mets Win a Doozy in 14!:

ME: had what felt like a quick day at work then met up with dan to go to the Yankee game! the Yankees vs the Red Sox! crazy fun although the Yanks lost, it was great to be with dan and at Yankee Stadium. there were a fair amount of Sox fans there and the outside of the stadium was getting ready for the Pope's weekend visit. on the way back after the game, a CRAAAAAAAAAZY man kept talking to me about fan attendance and the pope...he was a Mets fan, wearing Hillary campaign buttons. his fly was open and his clothing all over the place. dan got off way before i did, making my trip home more difficult with this nutcase talking my ear off!

METS: the Mets played host once again to the Washington Nationals and went 14 innings, finally winning 3-2! Figueroa threw seven and gave up two runs while striking out 7; it was another fine performance for a man who hasn't thrown in over five years! "It was a pretty ugly game -- it's as simple at that," Randolph said afterwards. the game was Nationals 2, Mets 1 until the 8th, when Delgado tied things up by singling in a run with two outs. things were quiet until the nationals brought in Hanrahan, who had control issues early on, walking four in 2 1/3 innings of work. Damion Easley singled in the 14th, got to third on a wild pitch and an error and eventually scored on another Hanrahan wild pitch! not pretty, but another win nonetheless and sweep of the Nats! the Mets left 14 men on base during the course of the game.

WEDNESDAY-Mets Do It Again!:

ME: busy day at work and i tried my best to get a lot done. it was hard. haven't been happy with my artistic production, miss my mom, worried about my dad and so on. it's all very mind-numbing at times. then, i'm trying to get used to the idea of my darling becky going away to the west coast for who knows how long. hard to take in sometimes. totally support her but am sad to go "long distance relationship" times. met up with becky and watched top chef. my stomach was not well.

METS: the Mets went deep and won their second in row, beating the Nats 5-2. Carlos Beltran, Reyes and Ryan Church all hit home runs: Church's and Jose's were solo, Beltran's was a three-run dinger! Maine looked strong going 6 2/3 and allowing two earned runs. he struck out four. this dude for the Nationals, Chico, who pitched, looked terrible and ultimately gave up five runs on seven hits (three of them home runs). Milledge was again, 1-3. Castillo, back in the lineup since returning to Shea, went 3-4. this was Maine's first win on the year and Wagner got his second save.

TUESDAY-Mets Win Big for Jackie Robinson Night:
ME: today bex sent in her deposit to AFI, although still uncertain of things. but she had to let AFI know by the 15th. met up with her and her pals at the commonwealth! talked about the merits of film school and change in general among other things.

METS: Jackie Robinson was honored at tonight's ball game. all players wore his number 42. it was announced before Willie Randolph and Rachel and Sharon Robinson that the rotunda would be named after Jackie at the new Citi Field. a rotunda showing pictures and quotations of Jackie and all he did in baseball; breaking the color barrier. the Mets went on to further acknowledge Robinson by clobbering the Nationals 6-0. David Wright went 3-4 with five RBI, hitting his 4th home run on the year in the first inning. Reyes went 4-5 and was shy a home run for the cycle. Church went 1-3 with a pair of runs. Lastings Milledge, former Met, went 1-3 and struck out twice as Pelfrey, yes--Mike Pelfrey improved his record to 2-0. he threw seven solid innings, allowed no runs and only five hits while striking out four. It is to be noted the Mets, while knocking in 6 over nine innings, left 10 on base. the Nats left 9 on base and seemed completely fooled by the new Pelfrey.

Mets Have Day Off

2008-04-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

ME: met with john and dan after work. went to the gate to wash away the monday blues. walked over to mura (my fave japanese food joint) to get stuff to go while kacy, dan and john ate there. really wanted to go home and work...got some stuff done but not nearly enough as i wanted to. carlucci called the mura waitress a ninja for quickly catching a glass of water she almost spilled!

METS: had the day off.

Mets Fall Again to Brew-Crew

2008-04-13T17:41:00.001-07:00

ME: paid a visit to my boss in the hospital. he's doing much better; a complete turnaround from during the week. i took cab in to the city with ruddy. we found a yellow cab center on 4th ave...it was like finding gold! felt like a long day.

although the Mets jumped all over Jeff Suppan early in the game, it wasn't enough as the Mets lost today 9-7. Wright hit another home run, Schneider went 3-5 with three RBI, Easley played short and went 2-5 with two RBI. but the Brewers took advantage of Mets pitching: Perez in 4 1/3 gave up six runs on eight hits. not the strong Perez we're used to seeing. Jorge Sosa came in and gave up another couple of runs. Hart and Gabe Kapler had monster hits for the Brewers as Gagne got yet another save.

Santana's First Shea Start a Bust

2008-04-13T17:40:00.001-07:00

ME: lux got sick; funky blood stools...hung with dan and kacy for a bit at the 6th ave. ale house. they were really concerned, but the vet wound up sending lux home with an IV. met up with becky and stayed over at her mom's.

METS: today was Santana's first start at Shea and it didn't go as expected. he gave up three Brewers home runs in 6 2/3 of work. seemed to me, the Brewers knew what pitches were coming and let's face it, if he doesn't get you with his breaking stuff, he always throws that fastball of his. he gave up four earned runs while striking out seven. Wright helped out, belting his second home run of the season in the 8th off Ben Sheets. Sheets vs. Santana...alas, the Mets fell 5-3. Gagne, of all people, got the save for Milwaukee!

Nelson Figueroa Wins First Game in Five Years!!!

2008-04-11T19:48:00.001-07:00

ME: managed to have a busy day, feel stressed and tired and then not do anything basically!

METS: who knew that with Pedro down and out, Nelson Figueroa would be the man to pick up where he left off? but he has, throwing six innings, allowing two runs and striking out six as the Mets beat the Brewers, 4-2. it was Nelson's first win since 2003. Angel Pagan went 2-4 with an RBI as Wright went 2-4 as well with a run scored. for the Brewers, only Fielder and Hardy had hits...one each! Smith, Heilman and Wagner all came in after Figueroa and held off the Brewers completely, Wagner getting the save. it was an emotional game for Figueroa, his family watching the game in Coney Island...

THURSDAY: Mets Do It Again, Win 4-3 in 12 Innings!

2008-04-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

ME: today was nutty as ever. so behind on work and going back and forth to the hospital and seeing how my boss is. it hasn't been easy but he is at least feeling better. and seeing him reminded me of how it was when i was a nursing aide--making people feel better just by seeing them. i am aware that i posses some sort of healing powers. it's true. he was more with it and alert. it feels amazing to make a difference in someone's life and it makes me want to do volunteer work as i used to years ago; visiting elderly people in the hospital. it just feels good and all people want to do is talk...be heard. went to therapy, went to gray's papaya then to the commonwealth to meet becky and sus.

METS: they did it again, beating the J.Ro-less Phillies, 4-3. Ryan Church was 2-5 with two RBI. Maine looked better than he did against the Braves, although he still managed to walk five in six innings. he also gave up a home run, his only earned run of the game. he was throwing crazy stuff over the spring...what happened? both Pedro Feliz and Ryan Howard hit home runs in the game. Pagan had yet another productive game, going 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. so far, he's leading the Mets in RBI...Moises who?

METS WIN! METS WIN!

2008-04-09T11:30:00.001-07:00

ME: did the best i could at work, then ran outta there like a ten year old and hustled to Shea! that's right! i went to the Mets game-first game of 2008! went with the lubells (sally, alan and mark) and mark's gal, jen. it was her first game, and man, did she witness a doozy! it was great!!! rad seats and a great night!

METS: Pelfrey did something he couldn't do all last year: win a game! he pitched five innings, allowed two runs and beat the Phillies 8-2. it was an exciting game! the Phillies were without their precious J-Ro and the Mets took full advantage. his replacement, Bruntlett made two errors. i'll put it this way, the Phillies' starting pitcher, Kendrick, gave up seven runs, but only one was earned! amazin'! in fact, the Mets scored eight on only five hits! how about that! it was great. such a fun game...gotta go to more. tons of fights broke out in the stands between Phillies' fans and Mets fans. insane. i don't like that at all and it's always a drag to see.

SUNDAY MONDAY AND TUESDAY POSTS!!!

2008-04-08T20:58:00.001-07:00

TUESDAY
ME: busy at work; dealt with craaaaaaazy clients. have so much to catch up on. visited boss in the hospital, he was out of it. watched some of Mets home opener at work. very sad. met up with dan lubell. went out with dan and ruddy to 6th ave ale house. ordered way too much food from there and welcomed home, becky! so good to see her! very happy; able to sleep now! she is such a great influence on my life and i truly want the best for her. don't know if she will go to one of the film schools in CA or not, but honestly want he to be happy and to meet her goals. of course it'll be hard and i would miss her to death...but then sometimes i think i should go out to CA too...why not? anyways, it's great to be back in her arms and i think it was great she went out west to investigate these schools. i'm going to the Mets game tomorrow! YESSSSSS!

METS: jesus christ...3 loses in a row! Lost to Phillies at Shea's last opening day. Perez pitched a great game, going 5 2/3 innings allowing only three hits, no runs while striking out a couple. Jaimie Moyer, one hell of an old pitcher, gave up two runs in six against the Mets. we lost 5-2. Delgado smacked his first home run of '08, but also committed an error. Beltran was 1-3 with a run scored and Reyes was a numbing 1-5. they seemed out of it; confused by Phillies' pitching (which i don't understand at all!). the idiot, J-Ro went 2-5 with two runs and an RBI. big deal!

MONDAY
ME: went into work and my boss was already admitted to the hospital. crazy long work day. concerned as hell about my boss. went to dan myers'. watched yankees game. hung out. ate too much. went home, gathered things and went back to becky's mom's for the night...stayed up late thinking about life.

METS: today, the Mets had a needed, day-off. tomorrow is their last home opener at Shea Stadium! they'll be facing the flukey Phillies.

SUNDAY
ME: today, i edited things with dan. tired as hell and only got more tired as the day went on. went back home, tired as hell. watched some baseball...not the mets.

METS: lost to the Braves again. Santana versus Smoltz. 3-1 was the final. Santana looked sharp but Smoltz looked even better, i have to say...and believe me, that's something hard for me to admit. in seven innings, Johan gave up only one run on seven hits. he struck out three. Smoltz pitched five and struck out six, allowing no runs and only two hits. it was as if the Mets had never faced this guy before. so annoying. Heilman came in and gave up two runs. four pitchers came in after Smoltz and only Soriano gave up a run...but he got the save. Delgado was the only productive Met, going 2-4. only Church, Schneider and Santana had hits. two in a row now lost to the Braves...sucks! they are really...not that good.

Maine Gives up Four Runs as Mets Lose 11-5

2008-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

ME: woke up really late. looking at stats after toby left. hung around at becky's mom's by myself. looked at baseball stats. stayed over night again. watched the depressing mets game.

METS: today, we lost to the Braves. Maine looked shaky. like he was trying too hard or something. did the rainout yesterday mess him up? may have. in four innings he gave up four runs on eight hits. Hudson went six and gave up three. just when you thought the Mets would come back, the Braves just kept piling on the hits and runs. Joe Smith came in and gave up a run Schoeneweis did okay in 2/3 of work but it was Jorge Sosa who, in only an inning of work, faced his old team and gave up four runs on three hits...giving up a grand slam to Kelly Johnson. Delgado, Beltran and Church all went 2-4. Larry Jones did it to the Mets again going 3-5...what an a**hole! just when i thought the Braves would do nothing against us this year...

FRIDAY'S POST: Mets Rained Out in Atlanta

2008-04-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

ME: becky and her mom left the house super early. what a blur. went back to sleep, missing her and woody kept barking! cats walked all over my body. stayed at work until about 8, just catching up. it was a long, tiring day. took my boss to the doctor's and then to the lab so he could get tests done. it was a physically trying day, but felt good helping he and his wife. it was just that towards the end of the day, i had to make up time and get resumes done. i interviewed a lady for her resume. fashion industry for 12 years. met up with toby after work. we drove back to BK and met up with bo and his lady, sophie. all hung out, watched the beginning of a bad movie, hung out; then toy and i watched 30 Days of Night, this new vampire movie based on the graphic novel. it was fun. stayed up late looking at baseball numbers. i miss becky so much. i have problems sleeping when she ain't around. went to bed at around 5AM.

METS: went to Atlanta and the game was rained out. terrible rain storms. game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on May 20th. Maine will start tomorrow instead. my fantasy baseball team is making a bit of a comeback. nice!

THURSDAY'S POST: Mets Have Day Off

2008-04-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

ME: had a crazy day at work; went to my first ever therapy session. i liked my therapist-nice man, gentle and sensitive. he was a good listener and i think that's what i need. he asked good questions and i feel the session went very well. it felt really great to talk to someone. becky has been influential in my going to therapy; for years i was against it. was always used to holding everything in and dealing on my own. i guess i'm at this point in my life where i need to talk to someone. someone objective who doesn't know anything other than what i tell them. feels good. met up with becky afterwards and went back to her mom's. they're leaving at 6AM tomorrow morning! i'ma miss her terribly but hope she gets a good experience and feel of what these schools are about.

METS: the Mets had off today and travelled to Atlanta. i really can't stand those Braves! what a bunch of suckers...now they have Kotsay. and everyone hails Jeff Francoeur as the next big thing...puh-lease!

Mets Make Fish Filet Winning 13-0!

2008-04-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

ME: had a quick day. lots happening as always and trying to keep up. had dinner with becky. she's going to cali on friday with her mom and i wanna spend as much with her before she goes away. listened to the mets game while she watched silly reality tele. we gathered a bunch of songs to put on her ipod.

METS: tonight in Florida, the Mets all but destroyed Marlins' pitching, winning 13-0! both Wright and Church hit home runs, Church's a two-run homer. Jose went 1-3 with two RBI and a run. Beltran was 3-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Perez was impressive, allowing only five hits and striking out eight in only six innings of work. he did not allow any runs. in fact, the Marlins only had six hits on the night! it was amazin'! Church went 3-5 with two runs and three RBI. solid game for the Mets and Pagan went 2-4 with two runs and an RBI, filling in nicely for Alou. it was announced today that the Mets would be without Pedro for 4-6 weeks. he has a strained left hammy...sucks, but i reckon the guy is getting old. he hasn't been his old Pedro-self for quite some time.

Pedro Hurt as Mets Go Down 5-4 in 10

2008-04-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

ME: today was better. tackled more resumes and assisted my boss who is loopier as ever. i am concerned about his health but doing the best i can to take care of him and the management of his small business. i attempted to get medicaid, leaving work early so i can see if i get some sort of coverage (i was going to go on saturday, but started too late-it was in coney island and closed at noon!). got there exactly at 4:15 was told to fill out forms at home and come back with documents, &c...got my hairs cut and a shave. met becky and we went to a CalArts student's parents' home. there, alumni and chosen students (of something like over 350,000!) meet to discuss california, the school and its programs. it was nice. it made me really excited for becky. the finger foods were fabulous! mad baby chicken quesadillas and burgers! yummers! good times. whacky people.

METS: today, Pedro was to make his big start. it was to be what we all waited for this spring "the Johan/Pedro Connection. but it didn't happen that long. after 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits, Pedro pulled a hammy and was assisted off the field. with an already DL'd El Duque and shaky Pelfrey, it makes you wonder who would replace Martinez, should this be a serious injury...Jorge Sosa came in and was effective, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing only
three hits. Schneider had a productive 3-4 day behind the plate and Pagan went 1-3 with a run and two RBI. Wright, Church and Delagdo all went 1-4 with a run scored. the game was tied until the bottom of the 10th, when Robert Andino, in the game at third for Cantu, hit a walk-off home run. Pedro...damn...is he really too old now? he can be effective. he has stuff that dances at the plate; fools batters. hope it's not serious.

METS WIN OPENER! Johan Ace in His Mets Debut!

2008-03-31T19:56:00.001-07:00

ME: today was a real letdown. had a ton of work to do at work; making resumes for impatient clients, wanting to send a resume out to get a new job. then, my dad was completely weird on the phone with me and made me feel like shite, basically. didn't know how to respond and it brought me down. over the years, our relationship has grown strained, at best. he refuses to let me visit him. i could just go and should. i keep thinking about it. want to then half of me thinks i shouldn't even make the effort. so many issues. went home, got productive and took care of things that needed tending to. managed to watch baseball.

METS: today the Mets opened their season in Florida. Johan took the mound and dominated, allowing two runs on three hits (gave up a two-run homer to Jorge Cantu, of all people). but striking out eight in seven innings! he went 0-3 in his first game where he had to hit...no surprise there. but what if, he really learned how to hit and became a good hitter. Perez is a decent hitter. Gooden was awesome. Mets beat the Marlins in the Marlins opener, 7-2. Jose went 2-4 with a run and RBI. Castillo was 1-3 with two walks and run scored. Wright? 2-3 with 3 RBI, including a hard hit double, which knocked in runs. Pagan, in for Alou, went 1-3 with a run and RBI. Church went 1-4 also with run and RBI. it was a terrific offensive game for the Mets; hitting everything Hendrickson offered. Hendrickson went on to pitch five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits. great way to start the season!!!

OPENING DAY IS TOMORROW!!!

2008-03-30T20:17:00.001-07:00

ME: woke up at like 8 or 9 AM, sick as hell...room spinning. felt sick as hell. couldn't see straight. becky put on the light and it killed my brain. she went to work and i went back to bed. trying my best to see straight and stop the room from spinning. drank water and threw it up. went to dan lubell's, stumbled over and edited something we shot a bit ago (see above). went back home and felt better as the day went on. horrible times. watched the Washington Nationals play the Atalnta Braves. Bush threw out the first pitch and got booed by like...EVERYONE! sad. he'd make a fine manager i think. Ryan Zimmerman won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

METS: no game today...OPENING DAY IS TOMORROW! Johan versus the Marlins. I wonder how he'll sleep tonight. i'm very excited. 162 games to go! LET'S GO METS!!!!

Civil Rights Game a Success

2008-03-29T17:36:00.001-07:00

ME: woke up dumb early in effort to go to coney island to get medicaid to help with this outrageous hospital bill i have when i conked out and hit my head on Martin Luther King Jr., Day. god, what a terrible day. it wasn't supposed to be. it was, after all the beginning of a week vacation. i wound up spending my time recuperating. sucked. i can't say exactly why i passed out. i was with dan lubell. i hadn't eaten very much that day. i was stressed, or, just getting over being so stressed. i wound up in the ER of methodist hospital. they gave me a CATSCAN and a million other tests that i didn't want to pay for. when i first hit the ground, i asked dan to just help me get home, or something to the effect that i could get home and that i'd be okay. well, it just didn't turn out like that and i was completely incapable of standing, let alone, walking. so dan wanted me to get on the stretcher and that's what i did. didn't have much choice...although...i lived right around the corner. how frustrating. anyways, so the bill is out of this world. and i need medicaid. i have no insurance and i have to get medicaid soon, so they can help cover this bill. anyways, i missed going to the coney island location. they're 9-12 on saturdays. the only office opened on the weekend. but it didn't work out so well...so then the couch came, via "man with van"--ruddy got a very dope, sweetass couch from greg and zora, since they're moving to miami. so, i moved everything around. vacuumed and did other home things...like...all day...now, i have two parties to go to, both birthdays, and a friend's show at the knitting factory. i wish i were an amoeba. wound up going to the bay ridge birthday party where i drank too much and vomited all the way home...this nice gal, setfania drove me home and i felt terrible...i made no mess in her car, but i certainly had her pull over quite a bit. i guess i needed to let it all out...have a good smashing. well, i got it alright! damn!

METS: today the Mets played in the second annual Civil Rights Game. the game took place at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee. for the Mets, it was John Maine versus the White Sox and Jose Contreras, both of whom pitched well, Maine striking out a good number of batters before coming out. runs first came off Contreras, who served up a two run homer to Carlos Beltran. for the sox, Pablo Ozuna singled with the bases loaded and tied the game. White Sox wash-up, Scott Linebrink allowed two singles and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the seventh, to put the Mets ahead 3-2. that was all they'd need and they'd go on to win by that score. it was a cool game: televised on ESPN, they showed the mets and various ballplayers taking a tour of the Civil Rights Museum. Willie Randolph was touched and said his players got a lot from the visit. this game kicked off a full weekend of events, Memphis planned as a way to look back at the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated April 4, 1968. "To me, it's an honor to be involved in this game," White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye said. "I've got a chance to play this game because of other people like Dr. King and Rosa Parks, and it's just a great experience." my friend, dan myers feels the game is just a way for corporate entities to feel good about itself and that the game really doesn't mean anything. i disagreed and after watching this game, disagree a whole lot more. as i pointed out, it's a good way for young people and players alike to stop and take notice of society and historically, what civil rights has been through and what it means. it's taken for granted as far as i'm concerned. i taped the game and hope to show it to dan at some point...

Reyes Steals and Scores as Mets Lose to Birds

2008-03-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

ME: today i ran around like a lunatic and argued in e-mail world with one of my closest friends, over some BS, that wasn't worth as much effort that was put into it. battling over two things, one thing involved going to a museum party at the planetarium i said i would go to, weeks and weeks ago, but never got tickets. granted, i did i say i was going to go. anyway, he goes ahead and buys himself tickets and got upset i wasn't going. mind you, he never called me to confirm, so it's a sticky situation. BUT, i had attempted to call him numerous times and never heard back from him. he had been e-mailed and was also not returning e-mails. i simply forgot to tell him i knew i wasn't going to go. but it got way more involved than that. then, he was upset for missing batting cage night; rather, meeting up afterwards. he, instead of calling and finding out where we went, decided to go home, thinking we'd all go to don's house as i said in an e-mail "...probably 1--% going to don's after." but you know, things change, and i did say "probably"...either way, once again, the kid doesn't pick up his phone and blames it on me somehow...for us eating at bonnie's grill. it's annoying. it's annoying to have to deal sometimes with friends' nuances; we all handle things differently but it's the way we do it that speaks volumes. anyways...it was a shame to have to deal. long day of work to boot...stayed at work until 8! met some pals for vietnamese food and celebrations. went home and took care of things--moving things around for a new couch...i'll post pictures tomorrow of the new living room! exciting, i know...

METS: the big story of the day here, aside from it being a close game until the finish, was the start of Orlando Hernandez and the bullpen appearance of Mike Pelfrey. the Mets lost 4-3, and the three runs that helped the Orioles win today, came all in the bottom of the ninth off Pelfrey! El Duque went five innings, striking out two and allowing one run on four hits. not bad-not bad. he seems to be ready for the season despite not having that many starts in this spring. but, the work he has done, seems to be effective. Pelfrey, on the other hand, was in the game for 3 2/3 innings and three runs on six hits. former Met, Jay Payton went 1-2 and had a run scored and RBI. outfielder Luke Scott, Brian Roberts and Torres were also all productive, each having an RBI. Jose stole two bases, went 2-3 and scored two runs. stealing them bases is going to be key this year for the mets, as we all know, it helps generate runs and gives the Wright and Beltran opportunity for RBI action. i like what i see and hope it all carries over nicely into the season!

THURSDAY'S BLOG

2008-03-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

ME: tonight, after work, i met up with danny and went to my crib. eric came over and then don came and picked us all up. we went to the batting cage center, where they also have video games, air hockey, baseketball and a pitching tunnel! it's too much fun. also, a cute little baseball card shop. toby showed up with saeler and we hit some fastballs! saeler hit for the first time...35 mph! and the kid did great! good contact and it was great to see him hit! it was a lot of fun. went to eat burgers at bonnie's grill. paid and ate too much, but what can you do?! it was a great night and wonderful to be with the fellas; hitting some fastballs!

METS: today the Mets had their way with the Braves, winning 9-4. Perez looked sharp at times, but in the end, he gave up three runs over 6 1/3 innings of work. he struck out four and gave up seven hits. Endy Chavez smacked a couple hits, going 2-4 with 2 RBI. Marlon Anderson played first base today and went 2-3 with a run and three RBI. former Met, Royce Ring, came in for the Braves and gave up a hit but struck out two in an inning of work. the Mets are looking good. backup catcher, Raul Casanova, hit his 3rd home run of the spring and went 2-4 with two runs and two RBI on the day. Easley played second.

Clutch Delgado & Wright Can't Push Mets Past Marlins

2008-03-26T20:47:00.003-07:00

ME: had a catch with becky and woody in the park after work. it was great. she throws the mustard. good control. breaking stuff too! went to virginia's for dinner and we went back home. great evening!

METS: 23 year old rookie, Robert Parnell started for the Mets and struck out five in five innings, allowing no runs. but Cantu's three run homer off Nelson Figueroa in the sixth and Mike Jacobs' two run shot in the seventh lead to the Marlin's win, 7-5. Reyes was 1-3 with an RBI. but the big story today came from David Wright and Carlos Delgado--both of whom hit singles with the bases loaded. both wound up with two hits and two RBI, respectively. Joe Smith allowed three runs to balloon his spring ERA to 8.18. not good.

TUESDAY'S POST: Mets Beat Braves 5-4

2008-03-26T20:47:00.001-07:00

ME: work was brisk and over before i knew it. felt lousy in the stomach all day. went home. napped. was supposed to meet my pal, alex at 9:15 at Nice Guy Eddie's across the street from the Mercury Lounge, but overslept and wound up on Houston at around 9:45. alex was taking me to see some bands. i had no clue what i was in for. never heard of the bands before; one was named Mother Acid's Temple. japanese outfit. alex tells me they get up to 10 people on the stage at once and make crazy music. we wanted to puff a gerbil before the show, but the area was littered with 5.0...so we found, what i thought was a quiet spot, when from outta nowhere came a short asian dude, wearing a hoodie (hood down). he flashed a badge as a second person, a stout buffalo-sized woman, also wearing a hoodie approached me. these folks were undercovers and i reckon could smell the gerbilsmoke. they patted us down, looked at our IDs, gave na brief lecture, looked around and then said something like, "had we been real cops, you two would be going to a holding cell." but then what were they? i still held in my hand the hooshten! can you believe that? a third asian fella, this one taller, showed up and the three of them studied us and looked around some more. that was it. a lecture and a slap. we were freaked out, to say the least! there are some angels on my shoulders. we went in and watched this crazy band, whose name i forget, but they were these borderline speed metal/black sabbath wannabees. bassist had crazy long hair and was busting all the rock moves--whipping that hair around in a frenzy! the lead singer had a high voice and said something about time machines and future things. some riffs were definitely fresh, sounded like classical music; fast classical. we left towards the end of the set and called it and walked to the train. we met up with bex and her pal at the commonwealth. fun bar--great jukebox! rival to great lakes' juke. i kinda dig commonwealth's more.

METS: Jonathon Niese gave up two runs on two hits over five innings of work as the Mets beat the ever-so-retarded Atlanta Braves. let's face it, they've got a wonderful history-there's no denying that. especially when you include the Milwaukee-era in there. Eddie Mathews. Hank Aaron. Dale Murphy. but f**k Chipper Jones. and i'm thrilled that schmuck, Andruw Jones left them. interested actually to see how he does with the Dodgers and Torre. wild. Ivan Maldonado came in after Niese and also gave up two runs. but the Mets made up for those runs: backup catcher, Raul Casanova hit a home run in the third off of Tim Hudson. Carlos Beltran went 1-2 with two runs scored. Reyes was 0-the day as were Delagdo and Wright, though Wright scored a run. rookie third baseman and replacement to the aging and inbred, Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar went 1-2 for the Braves. the Mets won in the ninth on a smacked single by Rafael Arroyo, driving in the winning run! LET'S GO METS!!! the Mets are now 18-9-1.

Maine Rocks Orioles and Amazes Mets

2008-03-24T20:42:00.001-07:00

ME: today went by too slow. left work and went to becky's mom's for dinner. it was nice. went home, watched tele and slept.

METS: John Maine did it again today, throwing six innings, striking out six and allowed only one hit as the Mets beat the Orioles 1-0! Maine has been amazing this spring. in fact, i drafted him in my fantasy baseball league, in one of the early rounds. the guy, in his last game last season, got 14 k's and allowed maybe one hit? if any? golden. Luis Castillo was the only Met to have a hit in six innings and wound up 2-3 with the Mets' lone RBI. Church went 1-3 and swiped a base. Smith came in and struck out two in 1.2 innings of strong relief work.

sunday

2008-03-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

ME: today was a weird emotional day for me. easter sunday. every easter sunday, when i was growing up, my parents, without fail, seemed to always get into some sorta nasty nonsense. such a drag. a day of jesus, egg hunting, dying eggs and chilling--always somehow interrupted by my parents' battles over this, that and the other. so i spent the day worrying about both of them; hoping they were okay. then i would speak with them, or miss their call, and get annoyed. the day was a anxiety-ridden wash. had a nice dinner though with friends; came home and watched In Treatment.

METS: poor Orlando. the guy tries his hardest to get to this point and in his first spring start, gives up five runs in only three innings. his fasest fastball was clocked at 85mph as the Cards beat the Mets, by an ass-smacking 14-4! the Cards got 21 hits on the day including Ankiel's 4th home run of the spring and Rasmus' blast (his third). Ankiel went 2-3 with two runs and two RBI. but the story of the day was the ineffectiveness of Orlando and the lack of support our o the bullpen. Pelfrey was brought into the game and got hit hardest, giving up eight runs off 13 hits in only 4.1 innings of work! god damn! both El Duque and Pelfrey are fighting for the 5th spot in the rotation. i hope Willie sticks with a four-man for now and see what happens. because...well, neither pitcher is impressing anyone...maybe Pelfrey for a little bit there to start...but, that was perhaps in the end, a fluke?

SATURDAY'S POST: Perez Loses in Short Mets Game

2008-03-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

ME: today, becky went to work and i did online things. made some shirts and then met becky to go to peter lubell's b-day times at mcsorley's bar...the oldest bar of its kind in manhattan. i mean, it's been there since the late 19th century! i think peter has too! it was fun times and it was great to see peter so happy and having fun. went back to dan lubell's with kacy and becky and ate too much thai. UGH...bloatsville '08!

METS: Oliver Perez, who has had a streaky spring thus far, struggled and let the home runs beat him in today's 5-2 loss to the Indians. Perez, in all, gave up four home runs in only five innings. for whatever reason, the game stopped after seven innings. Mets' bats were generally quiet save Beltran's; he hit his first spring home run and went 1-3 on the day. Cliff Lee looked good enough to perhaps get the fifth spot on the Indians' pitching staff. Victor Martinez, Indians' catcher extraordinare, went 3-4 with a home run. tomorrow, El Duque makes his first official start of the spring!

FRIDAY'S POST: Wright and Mets Kill Nationals, 8-2

2008-03-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

ME: helped out my boss and his wife; tried to get resumes done. my mind was elsewhere. the whole day. was psyched for my fantasy baseball draft. 9:30. ran home, looked up stats, got online and drafted in 25 rounds for about two hours! i think i have a great team and look very forward to this year's baseball season. i got john maine! psyched about that. have a really great pitching staff including oswalt and sabathia! it's on!

METS: David Wright lead the Mets in their beating the Nationals, 8-2. Wright was 3-4 with two runs and two RBI, hitting his first home run of the spring! Jose went 2-4 with a pair of RBI as well. Pedro was effective, striking out four and allowing two runs in five innings of work. Ricardo Rincon, still vying for a spot in an already crowded Mets' bullpen came in and struck out two in an inning. Angel Pagan went 2-2 with a run scored. Beltran went 2-3 but left two men on base as his ups and downs continue. Kearns hit a home run off Pedro in the fourth, after having been hit by a pitch in the second. he scored the only two runs for the Nationals. former Met cacther, Lo Duca went 1-3.

Mets Blank O's 7-0

2008-03-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

ME: the day went by slowly. met up with bex after work and went to a friend's art gallery opening on bowery and spring. DCKT Contemporary at 195 Bowery (at Spring St)--great space! totes gotta send my stuff there. great location and the art there was really cool: the artist, Josh Azzarella, takes existing historical images of atrocities and removes key elements, no longer making it an upsetting scene in time.

what was really funny was that becky new the artist's GF from college! this gal walked by us and was like, "becky?!" it was funny. tiffany was her name. josh's stuff was great. he had this monitor showing on loop, the first plane about to hit the towers, but it somehow just passes and keeps going. it was eerie.

METS: today the Santana Express was riding high as he went six innings, striking out seven and allowing five hits. Feliciano, Heilman, Sanchez and Wagner threw the rest of the game and allowed no runs to score. Batlimore's Leicester was ineffective giving up two runs on six hits, but later, they brought in Cormier and he gave up five runs on three walks and three hits. the Mets beat up the Orioles: Reyes went 2-2 with a run and RBI, Castillo went 2-3, Fernando Tatis and Gustavo Molina (catcher) both smashed two run doubles off Cormier in the 8th. Ryan Church went 0-the day and left, in all, five men on base. something's up with this fella's swing since his collision.

WEDNESDAY'S POST: Maine Fresh As Hell...Once Again

2008-03-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

ME: today...what happened today? oh, nothing much. same ol' crap. busy at work kinda...then went home and picked up over $56 worth of laundry! insane. but, at least now i have mad clean towels and undies! yay! did some more baseball research for my live fantasy baseball draft on friday. so many changes this year; so many rookies. have to get familiar all over again. an old friend of mine from school days joined the league this year. haven't really spoken to the kid in years and years, but i am happy he joined! he recently had a baby with his wife. crazy how time flies. a lot of folks from my school days have kids now. i want a baby too! man...listened to bjork live in germany, ate leftovers and watched a lil' tele before crashing out hardcore!

METS: Maine struck out seven and allowed only one run in the Mets' win, 3-1 over the Indians today! Maine was sharp as ever, throwing 5 and 2/3. Maine's improved changeup was effective, and Joe Smith, who has not had a very impressive spring, is still vying for a roster spot...he came in the game and got out of a tight situation, striking out the lone batter he faced. both Castro and Schneider sat out with injuries, allowing Casanova to come in, catch and go 2-3 with an RBI. Beltran, Wright and Reyes all went 1-3 and Pagan was 0 for the day. so far, one can say Maine has been the highlight of this spring...that and the fact the Mets are, for once, having a superb spring training with a 14-7-1 record to prove it!

Mets Have Day Off

2008-03-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

ME: long day at work. hung out with dan lubell; had a beer. went and picked becky up from her mom's. we had becky's pal come over with her dog and we all hung out. ordered in great chicken and rice and beans from Coco Roco...great place to eat! becky and i watched some tele then went to bed. 'twasn't a bad day at all...

METS: today, the Mets had the day off. there is mild concern about El Duque and his effectiveness. apparently, the Mets pitcher has been throwing high 70's, changed his high kick windup and is having problems with location. the Mets website wrote: "A scout who had attended to watch "opposing" pitcher Mike Pelfrey, as much as to see El Duque, suggested half of his (El Duque's) time had been wasted, and likened Hernandez's innings to slow-pitch softball. The absence of velocity was that conspicuous." but let's not forget: "...When El Duque was between employers in late February of 2004, he conducted an audition in Coral Gables, Fla., throwing for the Yankees some nine months after he had undergone elbow surgery. The Yankees weren't sufficiently impressed at first, but re-signed him. Four years later, he has won 48 games and one World Series ring. He's been fooling a lot of people." word!

MONDAY POST: Perez Spectacular, Reyes Runs Wild

2008-03-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

ME: today...i got into work early and worked hard. ran a bunch of errands, paid business taxes and left a little after 5:30. met becky for dinner and a drink. it was nice to talk and as always, to spend time with her. she understands me...perhaps too much? but it makes me feel great knowing i'm with someone who gets me. i feel completely at ease opening up to her, although it sometimes takes me a bit. we're truly a force to reckon with. i'm nervous about the prospect of her wanting to go to film school in california. she's still waiting to hear from NY schools, but...if she did want to move...what would i do? i don't think i could handle a long distance relationship. i don't know if i could make the move. maybe there'd be more opportunities for me out there? who knows. it's too much for me sometimes to think about. an ex of mine, years ago, was instrumental in getting me to live outside of NY...i lived in vancouver and philadelphia. it was a great experience. maybe i can do this again: up and move? i thikn i could benefit from california living...who knows. all i know is i want to be with becky and i'll do what it takes to make that happen. toby came over in the late evening and he, becky and i played game show video games! went to bed mad late...

METS: today, Perez was fantastic, throwing five innings and striking out five, allowing only one unearned run to beat the Nationals, 7-3. Perez looked sharp and fooled the batters facing him. the Nationals' Zimmerman went 2-4 as DH, with an RBI. Aaron Boone, trying to get a roster spot at third, went 0-3. Jose had a great day, going 2-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Wright was also 2-3, with two RBI, run scored and a stolen base! that's the Wright and Reyes we know and love! for reals...Beltran sat out and his replacement, the kid, Feliciano, went 1-2. all and all, the Mets amounted 7 runs on 11 hits! excellent game and win for Perez.

METS WIN!...TWICE!!!

2008-03-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

ME: today i woke up at becky's mom's house to dan lubell's call. he was warning me he was coming to get me in an hour so we can film this "the other spitzer hooker speaks out" sketch. so i woke up with an upset stomach and got my act together. dan picked me up and we hit the road. it was good to be filming something. it's been a while. we have a droughts and we have our productivity rivers. lately, we've had a drought. and while i usually do something else in the in-between time, this time i haven;t done anything. anyways. we went to the night agency, where dan works and where i've done a bunch of silly stuff (www.youtube.com/czg123) and filmed this crazy things where i play, Patty Cakes, governor spitzer's other hooker on the side-side. everything was fine and dandy until i had to go out and film stuff on the street. skimpy dress thing, black too-too and red boa. i got cat calls from the merchants of canal--who stopped their daily prayers to whistle and gawk and laugh...mostly the latter. we shot it pretty fast and then took off as dan had to run back to pick up kacy to go to her folks' house for dinner. it took us forever to find parking. my stomach was messed up before we filmed, and then afterwards--once i got home and decided to eat. though the game was televised today, i saw none of it. got home, brought $56 worth laundry in to get done, cleaned and tidied up. i have to say the apartment looks great and has really come together! ruddy put the fire under my ass to open up some room around the apartment and for that i am grateful. it hasn't been easy, but it has been worth the time and effort and i do feel happier about getting stuff done around the house. tonight, i feel like i could just watch some movies and/or read. i've been in a weird mood most of the day and yesterday. some sort of creeping sadness and anxiety that i try to shake but can't budge. i at once have tons on my mind, then nothing. i feel fine one second and freaked out the next. i worry about my boss and his wife. i worry about my mom. spoke to my dad at the most inopportune time yesterday and felt guilty about rushing him off the phone. that's been my weekend.

METS: today Pedro was perfecto in four, striking out four and allowing only four hits! i wish i saw him throw. maybe i can catch the replay. today was a split-squad game with Pedro-Mets playing the Tigers and Figueroa-Mets playing the Houston Astros. both Mets teams won. all other Mets pitchers after Pedro: Wise, Schoeneweis, Feliciano and Register all did swell...except
new gun, Brian Stokes (pictured above as a Devil Ray with a fan) who allowed six hits and four runs in the sixth inning. Jose went 1-3 with a triple, run scored and an RBI. Delgado had another good day at the plate, going 1-2 with an RBI. Anderson was 3-4 with a run. Beltran was 0 for the day. for the Tigers, Pudge went 3-3 to raise his spring average to .429. Carlos Guillen hit a two-run home run in the Tigers' effort to beat the Mets. Jake Eigsti, who came in for Castillo at second, went 1-1 with a run scored and two RBI. good win for the Mets and Pedro! in the other game, Nelson Figueroa started and the story here is, he hasn't been on a major league roster since 2004. to his credit, he's spent the last few seasons pitching down in mexico and taiwan. the non-roster invitee, allowed only one hit and one run, while striking out two over four innings of work as the Mets beat the Astros, 6-4. the other Reyes, who plays second base, went 1-4 with a run and an RBI; as was the case with the other Reyes (Jose), this Reyes (A.) also hit a triple! this Reyes came to the Mets as a free agent and played in the Indians' farm system. Victor Mendez went 2-4, with two RBI for the Mets as Jose Cruz Jr. (i have so many of his father's baseball cards! he was also an Astro!) had a two-run homer in Houston's three-run eighth inning. who knows what will happen with this Figueroa, El Duque and Pelfrey!

Santana Gives it Up and Wagner's Got the Goods!

2008-03-15T20:28:00.001-07:00

ME: today came and went. had time to watch the Mets play the Cardinals. Johan looked okay--definitely zip on his ball and he threw in the 90's consistently. but there were plenty of runs given up and i was thankful it was still just spring training. i was in a weird mood all day. becky went to work, i slept late and wasn't happy with just relaxing. although i did try to. i felt i had to be doing something. so i listened to a lot of music and looked things up on line. did some reading (Flannery O'Connor rools!) and watched that bloody Mets game. night came and becky and i watched Diving Bell and the Butterfly. pretty damn depressing, but interesting and shot well. it was this film that made me respect schnabel as a director and not see him as a pompous, artsy film director. probably because it seemed to have more soul than his other efforts. although i heard Before Night Falls is pretty dope too; which i'm sure it is. i want to see that. i liked this film, though it was definitely hard to watch at times. anyways, what am i? roger ebert over here? rex reed? my stomach felt gross at night. what else is new? i found time to organize some more around the house and put things away. i get the time to do something and want to just relax and do nothing. when i do nothing, i feel about about not doing anything and freak out about money and things like time. everyday, my sneaking suspicion about my stress effecting my stomach is confirmed. bex and i ate some really good indian food but it, of course, didn't sit well with me and gave me a rock in place of my stomach...but it was good!

METS: today Johan Santana started and the game was televised on channel 11. he gave up four runs, three were earned, in five innings. Johan had five strikeouts and walked one batter. he left himself open a lot and the Cardinals just have those hitters: Pujols, Molina, this kid, Brendan Ryan--who played 67 games at shortstop last year. in good news, Delgado hit a home run as did backup catcher, Raul Casanova in the fifth. the final was 10-3. a real stinker. Ricardo Rincon, who came in after Santana, and had been wonderful in four previous, spread-out innings of work, got rocked out of his socks for four runs on four hits. he only got one out-a strikeout. young pitcher, Joe Smith, rumored at one time to be Mets trade bait in deals, pitched an inning and gave up two runs on two hits, struck out two and walked two. Billy Wagner looked great, throwing an inning, striking out two and walking one. his breaking stuff looks legit! it's cool to see him using something other than the heat all the time. this loss makes the Mets 9-7-1 so far this spring. it looks like this Wainwright is the official Cardinals ace. he struck out three in five innings and held them Mets to two runs-only one earned. they still have Carpenter and Isringhausen in relief. but who's gonna pick up the slack when Pujols slumps as what happened last year.

FRIDAY'S POST-Maine Effective in Win

2008-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

ME: was another good busy day of work and i got plenty done before the weekend. met up with my pal, danny myers and went to hit some fastballs at this awesome batting cage center in brooklyn. only the 75-80 cage was free as the others were being rented for kids on a baseball team...we kept going between the fast cage and softball! it was good fun and my hands smart from the work. felt good. hung out with dan back at the pad and listened to a lot of music. it was good to catch up. he went to florida recently and i wish i could go on vacation!

METS: today, the Mets beat the Marlins 8-2. big production at the plate from Robinson Cancel, who they put behind the plate. i forget exactly where Omar got him from, but i think he came from Detroit. thing is, i think he is, primarily, a leftfielder. Cancel went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Beltran went 2-3 with two runs scored and Argenis Reyes, playing second, went 3-5 with an RBI. the Mets got 4 runs in the second inning and batted around the lineup. 'twas a good game. Delgado played and went 1-4 with a run. Maine was masterful once again, pitching five shutout innings, striking out six Marlins and letting up only three hits. impressive. so far, seems Maine's been showing the strongest outings. Santana and Castillo, who used to play together on the Twins, will start tomorrow for the first time as Mets teammates against the Cardinals. new Mets catcher, Brian Schneider, has sat out with a tight hamstring and Willie is wondering who will actually be healthy to play /make the roster, as spring training winds down. there's no question, the big names on the roster have been hurt this spring (Alou, Delgado, Beltran, Anderson, Church); hopefully some good can come of the Mets youth as backup.

Pelfrey Shows Signs of Old Self

2008-03-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

ME: today was yet another busy day, but good. i had a lot of resume interviews and they all went better than i thought they would. get off the phone, call people back, give them quotes, get back online, respond to clients and respond to inquiries, revise resumes, send out resumes, make resumes. that's my day. and somewhere in between, i'm able to look at youtube without sound and read e-mails from friends. i can't complain...that much. i actually enjoy what do, i just need more money and health insurance--both have recently been offered to me. got home, ate chinese with ruddy; pet cats and acquired more music. awesome. good times. looked into art shows, competitions, how to become a DJ and other fun things. i'm looking forward to hitting some fastballs tomorrow! clinton lost mississippi and i don't feel like talking about it. anyways, we have a new governor and a schmucky president on his way out.

METS: today the Mets played the Cardinals and lost 6-5. Mike Pelfrey pitched 4 2/3 and gave up two runs, one was earned. he struck out one and walked two. he seemed the Pelfrey of last year. but, his first few starts were impressive enough to make difference in the El Duque/Pelfrey race for a spot. rook, Robinson Cancel misplayed a pop-up at first, with two outs...and allowed a run to score. Pelfrey helped himself to a single and scored a run. Beltran went 1-2 with an rbi. Endy Chavez went 2-3 with a pair of RBI and a run. Jose went 2-3 as well with a pair of runs. everyone's making a big deal about Skip Schumaker, this rookie vying for a spot on the Cards' roster. he went 2-5 today with two runs and has a springtime average of .382. so, of course they'll make big a big stink...Al Pujols went 2-3 as well with an RBI and a walk. the mets injured are slowly but surely starting to return. Church played today and Beltran played in center as opposed to DH.

Pagan in a Pinch, Perez Picture Perfect

2008-03-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

ME: today work was hard. a lot to do and it made time fly. i tried to slow it down but was unsuccessful. had dinner after work with my mom and kevin. it was kevin's birfday and we all ate nice nice comfort food at Chat & Chew on 16th between union square west and 5th. great place. great food. i had the meatloaf, my mom the fried chicken and kevin some crazy sandwich that looked great. it is always a pleasure to see my mom; i love that woman so much! got home, did internet research, studied music and am basically too tired to do anything major. it sucks because there's so much i need to and want to do! never enough time in the day i tell you! while i was working today, i listened to governor spitzer resign. his wife beside him; whore on the side. anyways. now, for the first time ever: a black NY state governor! yay (and i hear he's blind?)! what a country. why did spitzer think he'd get away with spending $80,000 on hookers?

METS: Perez came through, earning his successful arbitration win by helping the Mets beat the Orioles 6-2 today. Perez threw four and gave up one run while striking out one. he seemed in better form today than his last outing and had more zip to his stuff. Billy Wagner was also effective, fooling folks with his new changeup. Angel Pagan did not start today but was put in to pinch hit and smashed a two-run homer giving the Metsies a 4-2 lead. Jose went 1-3 with a triple and run scored. he also reached base on an error and stole second. Beltran went 0-3 as DH. everyone's talking about the Cubs' Fukudome and the rivalry between the Yankees and Rays. today, they got into some fights which spawned during their first spring training game a few dyas ago or last week...i don't know when they first met this year.

Mets Fall Short Against Red Sox, Pedro Feels Good

2008-03-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

ME: today work was okay. got a lot done and i have lots to do these days. it's beginning to really annoy me how much i smoke. but that's another blog all together! after work, later, i had a catch with becky in prospect park. but it was kinda chilly and got dark quick--although the sun still sat late which is always nice. and it was great to throw. becky's got a good gun! i want to have more catches and go hit fastballs at the range near where i live! it's amazing there: a large batting cage center--indoors, with basketball, video games, a sports memorabilia shop, a chicken fingers and pizza stand and tables where adults and children alike, play one another intense games of pokemon, digimon and magic. it's a great place to waste time and hit fastballs. in fact, i plan on going there on friday! should be fun-always is! anyways, after the catch, bex1 and i got the ill hot dogs, waffle fries and mozzy stix! mmmmmmmmmmm--Hot Diggity Dog is the greatest BK hot dog and treats place to go to...we got a ton of stuff and it was only $20; they've been there forever-mad neighborhood. anyways, we got these treats and headed back through the crazy wind. my hips are absolutely killing me. every step i take, i have to be careful not to throw my knee out to the outside...i know that doesn't make any sense whatsoever...how can i explain it? i was told years ago that i had the legs of a woman! that my knees go out, whereas a man's turn inwards. consequently, my hip gets a tremendous shooting pain this day, tuesday, whenever i straighten out my leg or turn it inwards. it's a painful annoyance. but i live. the dogs help! mmmmmmmmmmm! watched In Treatment and something else i can't recall...'twas a good day (and i didn't have to use my AK!).

METS: today the Mets lost to the Red Sox, 4-3, despite fine performances from Pagan and reliever, Steven Register who pitched two nice-nice innings. Angel Pagan, who is starting to look like Alou's replacement, smacked a sweet two out triple in the third. but while the reserves continue to come through for these springtimey Mets, it wasn't enough against the 2-3 Manny Ram and the untouchable relief antics of Papelbon-bons. it's fun to see these match-ups. who knows? maybe this would be the year of the 1986 reunion World Series? tomorrow, the Mets plays Baltimore. meanwhile, in Port St. Lucie, Pedro threw a simulated game for three innings and reached 87 mph. "It's not about velocity, it's about changing speeds," said the Mets ace. at least he's feeling healthy, and believe me, a healthy Pedro is what we need in that spot right after Johan. do you remember where you were when you heard the Mets were getting Keith Hernandez?

Red Sox Meet Santana

2008-03-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

ME: today i showed up at work early and got a lot of things done that i needed to. but it's still never enough and the phone will not stop ringing. i answer the phone, type, answer the phone, talk to my boss and his wife, type, answer phone, search for old resumes, &c...but, busy is good. i'm still looking for the time i can focus on my own art and music again. i miss it so much and am going nuts not creating anything. not even a silly video skit or something. got home from work, went to see my landlord's lawyer. he was the dude i went to when i first found this place all them years ago...here in the booming park slope. we sit down and discuss gov. spitzer and his thing for hookers and how crazy it was and hypocritical. then we talk about my landlords. there are more than one. they're in fact a family from far away. i've had a love hate relationship with them and is presently in the love stage. they sent someone over to fix a leak in the kitchen (from the far window). no one noticed the broken window from the indoor catch the other night! go figure. maybe teh handyman saw but didn't say anything? anyways, i had to see the lawyer guy, who happens to be a nice fella, a broker and landlord himself, he's made his way, is middle-aged and seems like a nice guy. he's been around the block. he asks me how everyone is in the building. i tell him as much as i know. then we get down to brass tax and discuss the new lease. the landlords told me to speak with him today about a new lease. but he knew nothing about it. so we talked some more about hillary and obama (he voted for hillary) and i requested the lease be for two years. he said he would do his best. i also requested the increase not be so high...he said it probably wouldn't be. i hope that's right. hung out on the computer. was tired. my hip really hurts quite a bit. odd...well, not really being that i have arthritis under my knees...stuff is probably spreading. i need to diet...i feel bloated and crappy. made the dumbest mistake of having mcdonald's...what the hell was i thinking. messed me up...played becky some playstation 1 wheel of fortune, watched in treatment and high school confidential (which is kinda cool in theory but executed with poor production values) and went to bed mad late. the game was televised today but i saw none of it.

METS: today the Mets played the Boston Red Sox and both Delgado and Beltran returned to the lineup, although together they went 0-5, it was still a pleasure to see them back. Santana went four innings, struck our four and gave up two hits; no walks. it was, thus far, his best spring outing as he gave up no runs! the game ended in a 1-1 tie. the Sox' Lester was equally as impressive going four as well, striking out five and also allowed two hits and no runs. some say Jon Lester may prove to be the Red Sox ace this year. the "World Champions," huh? well, we'll certainly see about that this year! Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit off Santana in his effort to get the starting CF job. Pagan went 1-3 with a run scored. Pedro will not start tomorrow against the Red Sox, but will instead stay at home for another simulated game. i just found out that he seems to be against traveling games in spring training! who knew?!

My Sunday Was So-So but Maine Rocks it Again!

2008-03-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

ME: woke up early off and on. woody, becky's mom's puppy slept over and we had a fun time last night. this morning, becky's mom picked us up and we loaded her car with both becky's and my stuff...some stuff went to becky's studio and my house. after that move, we brought things to my storage. as mentioned in yesterday's posting, i had moved things around in effort to get more in storage. so today, what had to, went into storage. it was quite a day, let me tell ya. exhausting. had a cup of coffee (non-decaf) and it made me vomit. felt so out of sorts and sick. then, the rest of the day, i felt hot and cold. stressed and not. lousy. it was like enjoying a hot cup of liquid crack. got back home, watched some of the Mets spring training against the Astros. i had no clue that Victor Diaz went to the Astros during the winter. wild. we used to call him "Baby Manny" as in Manny Ramirez. Maine was very impressive. took a long nap and woke up sweaty and out of sorts still, but better. brought home some work that i needed (and still need) to do. sucks. also have a freelance writing thing for a company i have to do. s***! there ain't never enough time in the day. you'll find i say this a lot. read about bill clinton saying he thinks obama and his wife should run together on her ticket. she likes the idea too. we all do. however, it'd be probably the first time a second placer, approached a first position candidate and ask them to be No. 2 in their campaign. anyways, i love the idea. when obama was asked what he thought, he said, "I think it is very premature to start talking about a joint ticket." and rightfully so. the man wants to be president. i really hope hillary takes it. if it means fighting in state after state, so be it, although it prolongs the process of course and eventually, neither could get the required number after all is said and done! UGH! whatever. let's go hillary! you the lady! anyways...had a catch with becky in the apt and broke the window! my lady's got wicked movement on her fastball! and she can throw better than my roommate (and he's a dude!).

METS: Maine, allowed no hits and struck out four in four innings of work. his fastball looked great and he was fooling batters left and right. i'll never forget his last game of '07...that no-hitter into the 8th inning. god damn...struck out 13 or 14? amazing. Billy Wagner came in to relieve Maine and was great, pitched an inning, striking out two and allowing one hit that rocked off Wright's glove. His fastball was clocked at 94 and he was working with curveballs! i kid you not. the man, whose bread and butter has been his fastball, was working ill curves and breaking balls. and why not? the reliever should absolutely start shaking it up, this way, come september, Ryan Howard can have a 2-2 count and WHOOPS--in drops la curveball. not expected from Wagner at all. nice. Jose Reyes woke up and hit a lead off home run as the Mets beat the Astros 3-0. Valentin looked good at first as did Easley. Victor Diaz, ex-Met, went 0-3 as did another ex-Met, Ty Wigginton.
Pelfrey and Orlando: Who Will Start?

Split Squads Split Wins

2008-03-08T20:34:00.001-08:00

ME: so what did i do today? i just cleaned up my apt--like, ALL day. it was good though; able to figure out what else needed to go into storage. so tomorrow, becky's mom will drive me to storage and i can put more in there--which is great because it then gives us more room here. anyways, i had to fix my closet which exploded for some reason...so i had to go to the hardware store and fix it. worked from about 2 until 8:30...totally missed the televised Mets game. oh well...went to becky's pal's house, hung out, came back home and watched some of SNL...which only made me sick. but Vampire Weekend was cool...finished watching Bergman's, "Through a Glass Darkly." it was cool...depressing and odd, but good. so now, i'm finally returning two netflix flix to get more! yay!

METS: today the Mets played two games as a split squad. one game was against the Orioles and was played mainly by Mets rookies and youthful players including Fernando Martinez (LF) and Richard Lucas (3B), who both had two hits in the Mets' 4-1 win. prospect, Jonathon Niese pitched two giving up 3 hits and one earned run. these kids are looking good! in the other game, Pelfrey looked like the Pelfrey of last season, allowing seven runs in only 3 1/3 innings of work! yikes! the Marlins beat the other Mets' squad, 12-4...but new Met catcher Brian Schneider hit a solo homer and Damion Easley hit a two run homer in the sixth inning. Ryan Church returned to play, after sitting out from his collision with Anderson (a Grade 2 concussion), and went 2-2. Reyes was hitless and Wright went 1-4. the other Reyes, a young outfielder, also hit a home run for the Mets.

2008-03-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

the woman responsible for making me a Mets fan...my awesome momma!

ME: so today, yes, i was hungover as hell...it was horrible. i felt sea-sick and wanted so badly to just stay in bed and not move. alas, i have a job to do in making resumes and, reluctantly, got up and on the train. the day went so slowly and i made a ton of trips to the bathroom (TMI, i know). but, i somehow got all the work done that i needed to, left at 6 and went to Becky's mom's to hang and have a pizza party! yay! i think when we get home, i'ma clean up and then watch movies and tv all night! yay!

METS: today Pedro threw a simulation game to the delight of Mets top brass. he threw the equivalent of 2 innings, facing Endy Chavez, Easley and two minor leaguers. owner, Fred Wilpon brought along some pals to watch Pedro throw; Wright and others including new hire, Santana watched as well. all eyes on Pedro and everyone, including Pedro, seemed pleased. Chavez commented that Martinez' velocity was better than in September. Pedro felt his curveball was "asi asi" ("so so" in Spanish). the Mets played the Indians today and won 8-6. Perez started and got roughed up-giving up 6 runs and 6 hits in only 2 2/3 innings of work. Angel Pagan had another good game, going 2-4 with a run scored. Nelson Figueroa, vying for a log reliever spot, did well pitching three scoreless innings and striking out two. Olmedo Saenz, a new Mets kid on the block, played DH today and went 2-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 rbi. he belted a home run off Betancourt. Another home run was hit by yet another Met sub named Robinson Cancel. he played first base effectively in place of the injured Abreu and Delgado. this weekend's Mets spring training games will be televised on WPIX (channel 11 in NY). the Mets are presently 6-3-1 this spring and essentially making do with the great subs and rookies, looking to make a difference this year at Shea.

THURSDAY'S BLOG (sorry for not posting yesterday!)

2008-03-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

ME: i had a super long day at work and decided to "party" a little with some pals at my crib. problem is, my room was such a mess, and although it would have been the wise thing to have folks in there drinking, we drank out in the living room. my roomie and good friend, is a recovering alcoholic. it was pretty insensitive of me to think we could get away with drinking in front of him and i wish that we hadn't. i honestly didn't think it would be a big deal, but i didn't consider how this would make him feel. i'm just realizing now that my former roommates have been female. i prefer living with women. they're just neater and cooler to deal with. i have lived with men, but only male friends-such is the case now. anyway, i felt bad and apologized. it was truly a once-in-a-blue moon episode; one that will not happen again. got super drunk, and we all (my lady and a couple of her buddies and my close friend, Toby) decided to go to the local lesbian bar, Ginger's, to rock the karaoke! my lady sang two cool songs, i sang two as well but had microphone issues...drank more, got home, ate and passed the f*** out! i still feel bad about drinking in front of my roomie. i tend to carry guilt around with me everywhere i go.

METS: today, Pedro Martinez was scheduled to start his first spring training game against the Nationals, only the game was rained out. Beltran (knee), Chruch (collision with Anderson) and injured crew are hoping to return soon. in the meantime, rumors were circulating about the Mets going after either Bonds or Sosa to play the outfield in place of Alou (who underwent surgery in NYC today), but Omar shot down those rumors. "Angel Pagan and the other guys are doing a good job. They're not Moises Alou, but to get a bat like that is going to require a major trade," said the GM. it's nuts to think that Anderson and Church had such a violet collision...i fact, it made Anderson vomit immediately on Church! crazy.

Injuries, Injuries and a Skimpy Raise!

2008-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Chillin' in the Mets locker area.

ME: today was busy and then not busy. sometimes we get a lot of inquiries at work, other times it's dead quiet. sometimes i can finish a resume in half an hour; other times it takes me several hours--just to wrap my head around what they do. and if i don't interview them for the resume, it makes matters worse because i have no clue, truly, what they do! sometimes my boss gets all of their information; sometimes there's nothing to work with other than their previous crappy resume. so what can i say? it was another weird weather day...i mean, march 5th and i can stand outside with a short sleeve shirt. global warming, baby. around 3pm, my toe felt funny, maybe later in the day. i waited until i got home to take my shoe and sock off and found my big toe was red, bruised and swollen! i have no clue how that happened. limpy, i played with my cats (metsy and mona), went to the bathroom a few dozen times (TMI, i know...i have IBS...TMI, i know) and then headed over to becky's mom's to watch the season finale of project runway! it was great, s always. there's not much realty tv i enjoy out there, but that's one i do. tim gunn for president i say! i overate, played with cats and woody a. wooders, the puppy and stayed up late. hillary got ohio, texas and rhode island. amazing. it what awesome news! it's an exciting race and i really hope that, no matter who gets the nod, mccain doesn't win...why do i feel he will. some tell me that people really won't vote for him. others say they will because they won't handle a black nor female president. we'll see, right? i hope hillary can do it. obama's got the delegates, she the superdelegates and me? indigestion...go figure! i really have to create something soon. a mix, art...something. perform? i will go nuts if i don't do something creative soon. i guess this counts as creative, no? no. i think not. after all, i'm just writing about my day and the Mets' day. i get depressed though and confused and out of sorts when too much time passes between creative projects. oh dear, i do wish there were more hours in the day. i'm sitting on a world of talent and worrying about paying the bills? i don't get what's happening. should i just become a zoologist? work at a mall? maybe i need a new job? maybe i need to work from home...yeah. i think i should just make resumes from home. and art. and put on musicals.

METS: today the Mets beat Joe Torre's Dodgers, 3-2, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth! Johan struck out four and gave up one run in 3 innings of work. Angel Pagan had another good day going 1-2 and raising his grapefruit average to .429. Anderson Hernandez, who played in four games last year, went 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI. John Maine, who won 15 games last year with a 3.91 ERA and 180 strikeouts, received a "mere" $59K raise today. that makes his salary for '08, $450K...that, in an era where the average player gets a minimum of $1 million. Papelbon (Red Sox), Fielder (Brewers) and Hamels (Philadelphia) also received weak raises compared to their strong performances. it's interesting to note that players on a 40 man roster, with less than three years of experience and not eligible for arbitration, who did not agree on contracts beforehand, are at the mercy of their ball club to decide their salary. that's a problem. but then again, perhaps these guys should prove their worth over time. after al, when i was younger, these guys remained with one team for their whole career, for the most part. nowadays, they journey. but, nice deserving salaries can influence a player to stay. craig biggio anyone? derek jeter? have i mentioned no player on this Mets roster has used performance enhancing drugs? just thought i'd mention that. what else? oh yeah, people are not going to be able to smoke anywhere at Shea this season, nor next year at Citi Field. now, for the bad news: Moises Alou is getting hernia surgery which will put him out until May. Michel Abreu, who was doing well replacing the injured Delgado, is now injured himself! coincidentally, Abreu is out with a hip flexor injury (Delgado is out with hip issues as well). Beltran, Castillo, Chavez ad Damion Easley are all out and due back sometimes next week! El Duque is feeling better and threw off a mound. Gotay, says a CT Scan, suffered an ankle sprain...as opposed to a fracture, what is what everyoe thought he had. the Mets are, according to the Post, on the prowl for righty hitter who can play first base as well as right field and a middle infielder. Joe Smith and even El Duque might be on the trading block.

Can't Wait to See This Guy Steal This Year!

Angel Pagan Will Do Anything to be Roster

2008-03-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

ME: my day was okay. can't really complain. sometimes work is really busy and nuts and other times it's simply chill. today, i got super tired out of nowhere around 4:45. left work on time which was nice and went home. had some friends over to watch the results come in from ohio, rhode island, vermont and texas. as i write this, i'm still waiting for texas results. hillary is looking good and has a 2% gain on obama in texas. so exciting and i'm so happy for hillary. god, i hope she gets it! it would be amazing...obama is a good guy and good candidate as well. either would be a refreshing change; hillary moreso to me. showed my pals and lady, this amazing movie preview on youtube for a 70's flick called "an american hippie in isreal"! you have to see it to believe it! am thinking i should be doing more creatively...starting to feel a wee bit out of sorts without making something; some kind of art...it's been a while and while i've collected my materials, i need, now, only to execute. i am utterly in love with my lady! it's an amazing feeling and wonderful phenomena. i hope we can buy some Mets single game tickets online soon together!

METS: today the Mets beat the Marlins, 6-2. this kid, Angel Pagan (pictured above as a Met and previously, as a Cub), continues to show peeps what's up with three singles and two rbi. the Mets scored 4 of their 6 runs in the top of the ninth! John Maine gave up a run in three and also struck out three. Johan will make his second start tomorrow against the Dodgers. his first outing gave him a one-game 13.50 ERA. but hey--that's spring training for you. rather now than later. there's no denyin'--the Mets are gonna be stupid fresh nice this year. this is Shea's last year and i still can't believe it! gotta see games. heard rumor 'bout the Mets trying to get Prince Fielder?!?! well, word has it he's not too happy in Milwaukee.

The Prince Doesn't Get What He Wants

Pelfrey Amazes and Abreu Scores Winning Run

2008-03-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

ME: so today i had a pretty busy day. my boss hasn't been in the greatest of health so i've been taking care of him and his business. we make resumes. it's actually pretty interesting and i'm finding these days, i can make just about anyone's resume! it's cool. i interview these random people, next thing you know, days later, i make their resume. i learned a great deal from my boss. anyways, it was pretty gross today, i won't get into details but...it worked itself out fine. when he's out of it, it allows me to do more work--as opposed to when he's alert and with it, he busts my chops and won't stop schmoozing. my honey came back from maine with her momma and it felt sooooooooooo great to see her (she was gone all weekend). i really miss my honey when she's away...hell, i can't even sleep right without her beside me, i've grown so accustomed to her always being with me. it was, all and all, a good monday considering it was monday! think i may have some pals come over and hang out tomorrow night! yay! watch the results come in (LET'S GO HILLARY!!!) and listen to some tunes. i just can't wait for opening day. can't believe this is the last year for my beloved shea stadium. oh dear, how i do love shea!

METS: today, Pelfrey pitched another three shutout innings against the Braves in spring training! that's five, count 'em, scoreless innings for the "turnaround" kid! the Mets won in dramatic fashion in 10 innings, with this new kid, Michel Abreu scoring the winning run on a Ruben Tejada double. who's this Ruben Tejada and is he any relation to Miguel? then, i found out the following rumors: El Duque may be a reliever this season AND...get this: there's talk of getting Mike Piazza back to play first base! crazy, right? well, i love Piazza and of course, while i was sad to see him go, i would be psyched to see him come back. why not? this is, after all, the last year of Shea Stadium...he had a successful run here and let's face it, we've employed both Andres Galarraga and Julio Franco at first so...bring Mike back i say! let's hope this new and improved Mike Pelfrey remains in tact for the season!

Reserves Do It Again Delgado Feeling Okay

2008-03-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

ME: woke up dumb late. like...1:00. woke in the middle of the night, sweaty--the heat was too much and i was too bundled. i felt like an old hobo or something. stayed up way too late, despite being so tired, just listening to music and reading about the people making it. i wanted to watch a movie but never got around to it. it's embarrassing but i've had the same 3 netflix movies for over a month now. so lame. but i read a bit about this lady, barbara dickson, who was in a production in the 60's, in the UK, called "John, Paul, George, Ringo...and Bert"! she sings beatles songs in the show and takes them to another level. great stuff. sweet voice. she apparently was a well known brit folk singer in liverpool. i also read about robin peter smith, better known as crispian st. peters. he was a folk singer as well, also a brit. well, he played with a few groups before doing things on his own; recording. he received a lot of attention then got tired of it and annoyed that people were just finding out about him. he went on record as saying that he had about 80 songs better than lennon and mccartney and was a better singer than elvis. he became a bit of a recluse. but his songs are great and his voice is something unworldly really. went out tonight with some friends to a "secret" lounge in lower manhattan. it fronts as a hot dog place but there's a whole other world behind this phone booth! amazing. i'm pretty tired still. headed home, moved around a few things, fed the cats then came over to becky's mom's house to cat sit, watch tele and eat chicken! that sounds like a chill sunday to me!

METS: today, the Mets did it again! beating the Dodgers two straight--both times with reserves starting. the runs didn't come until late though. in the ninth, rookie Angel Pagan (you gotta love that name!) drove in two runs with a single; he had three hits on the day. word has it that the only batter to touch the Dodgers' Derek Lowe was Ruben Gotay, who is putting his bid in for a roster spot. on the other side, Torre's Dodgers, a mix of youth and old vets, all had a hit except for former Met, Jeff Kent. Andruw Jones is continuing to have a nice first week as a Dodger. Oliver Perez, who i am assuming worked things out with Mets brass regarding $$$ (reports were the Mets didn't offer what he was asking for earlier), gave up three runs in the first. Mike Pelfrey, who had a less than thrilling '07, has had a nice start already and is looking to make a mess of the Braves tomorrow. i can't stand the Braves...nor the Phillies for that matter. although, when i was growing up, i remember the Cards being the one to hate. rivalries, as Willie Randolph will tell ya, are healthy and missing from baseball. sure, you got the Yanks vs Red Sox, but there used to be a bunch of "dirty," trash-talking games. i think they tried to get more of that when they introduced interleague play (see Cubs fans vs White Sox fans! oy...). in other news, Delgado made a special appearance at the game and seems better than everyone had thought, though he may still miss a few games.

Valentin at First?

Spring Training, Johan and Injuries

2008-03-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

ME: saturday. woke up late and finished packing up things from my apartment to put into storage. too much clutter. the driver from the storage place called and wanted to know if i wanted him to come sooner rather than later--apparently, he was ahead of schedule. i was completely tired and out of it and wanted more time (um...the time i had scheduled? helllllllo?!). but sure enough, he came earlier, just to see what i had to transport. a cop told him he couldn't park right in front, so my roomie, Ruddy and i, hustled everything downstairs and i went way earlier than i had planned. walked from atlantic ave and grand back to 5th and union--when i got on a bus and came home. at home were my pals, Greg and Zora. they came to take my other pal, Bo's records, which he left in my house for over a year. i was psyched they were taking them. we didn't want them and i feared the records would stay longer than i wanted. so, again, there i am bringing heavy stuff down and into a vehicle. rested and listened to music. my lady, Becky, went to her mom's place in maine...left friday and for the first time in eons, we slept apart. i miss her terribly whenever she's away. sometimes i have to remind myself it's okay to not do anything. it was, after all, a tough week and i'm still sick...

METS: during the off-season, the Mets made some moves...the biggest one of them all being the acquisition of Twins' lefty, Johan Santana. the Yankees, the Red Sox and Mariners were all in hot pursuit of the ace. leave it to Omar (Mets GM) to make the magic happen! we also got Ryan Church and Brian Schneider...will Ramon Castro start behind the plate? maybe Fidel will now that he left cuba...and speaking of cuba, how about this Michael Abreu fella? the kid went 1-2 today with the game scoring run on a Brady Clark HBP. i know...lame way to end a game, but--hey, that's spring training and you have to love it. i can't wait to see Johan pitch! the guy is going to thrive in the national league. some bad news regarding Delgado: an impingement in his right hip...now, mind you, this was after he said there were "no lasting effects" of his right hip flexor that kept him on the bench last september. i'm beginning to have my doubts about that guy. sure--he's got the power, but where is it? since coming to NY, he's only amounted 62 home runs, and oddly, has had the same number of hits for the two years he's been a Met (139)! the "stinky" part is his low .262 average as a Met. anyway, enter Abreu...playing at first today. don't forget, Shawn Green is also a valid option at first. the Mets have played spring training games since tuesday, february 26th. now, they've never been a good team during spring training and i'm not worried about their 1-3-1 record (they tied with the University of Michigan on tuesday). there's a lot of good depth to this Mets team and i'm hoping they can wash away the pain from the final week of baseball last year...that really...well...it hurt...but i'm excited about this year and hope they can stay the course. forgot to mention that today, in the outfield, Ryan Church and Marlon Anderson collided in rightfield...Church had a concussion and Jose Reyes fouled a pitch off his knee...yay!

When Will Lastings Grow Up?