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October 19, 2006
Still Alive
It’s funny. Looking at just the matchups before last night’s game, it was a mismatch. Chris Carpenter won the NL Cy Young last year and has a good shot at doing it again this year, and John Maine almost didn’t make the playoff rotation before injuries descended on the Mets’ pitching staff. In Game 2, when these two pitchers met the first time, neither pitched well: Carpenter gave up five runs in five innings, and Maine went just four, allowing four total runs. Still, if I had to put money down on one of those guys making a comeback, my money would have been on Carp. But John Maine got the win in Game 6, not Chris Carpenter. And I’m not sure he really even pitched better. Oh, maybe Maine pitched better. He struck out an extra batter in two-thirds less of an inning and allowed five fewer hits and one fewer homerun. But he also walked four more batters, hit another, and threw far fewer strikes. In all honesty, Maine didn’t really seem to pitch that much better than he had during Game 2. The difference was that the umpiring seemed a little more consistent (though that had little effect on the actual number of strikes Maine threw), and Maine was able to get out of his big jam in the first. On the other hand, Carpenter allowed a run in his only jam of the night, coming in the fourth inning. I don’t say this to pick on Maine at all. He did what he needed to do, which was to pitch competently and let the game hinge on other factors, like the Cardinal bats’ utter failure to get anything going until the ninth inning. I just find it fascinating that the playoffs are as unpredictable as they are. I’m apparently not the only one who thinks so; in the New York Times, Will Leitch, Cardinal fan and editor of Deadspin, also underlined this same unpredictability. The playoffs are no more chaotic than any regular season game, but we all tend to only notice it when it’s all on the line. Last week, I published a column here entitled, “Four Reasons Why the Cardinals Could Shock.” In that article, I was very careful to stick to conditional verbs, like “could,” for two reasons. First, I didn’t want to be laughed at when the Mets swept, and second, I just didn’t know what we’d actually see, just what we might. At times, three out of my four possibilities have been dead on: the Cardinal offense looked very much alive in a couple of games, Jeff Suppan pitched fantastically, and the Cardinal bullpen was lights out here and there. The one prediction that hasn’t worked out was the one I felt most confident about. Tomorrow’s match-up of Jeff Suppan versus Mystery Met once again favors the Cardinals. Suppan owned the Mets in Game 3, both on the mound and in the batter’s box. But I’m not worried, because I know better now. One game is impossible to predict. Trends are just trends, streaks can be broken, and the mighty humbled. It’s going to come down to a coin toss. And because of that, in my own twisted mind, it’s going to come down to everything. The umpiring. The winds at Shea. What I eat for breakfast. It may come down to the number of comments we get during the game. It could come down to Eric Simon’s Endy shirt. Or my lucky Mets cap that I started wearing on September 28th in an effort to change the team’s mojo and have worn ever since, despite ripping it off my head after Game 2 and stomping all over it. It could come down to karma. Last week, I was sure it would, and I don’t even believe in the stuff. Heck, I don’t even really know what it is or how it works. There’s nothing like an uncontrollable situation to turn a rational being into a superstitious mess. And here we are at Game 7. Another coin flip. Or maybe one last series of coin flips. I’m hoping for lots of “heads.” 154 Responses to “Still Alive”Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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S*CK IT
Would those be….”stay away” udamn….lol?
LOL close shea.
::forms X with arms::
udamnwright…that was brilliant. I agree. but i don’t want to do the chant around what they have to offer us on the loud speakers. They should get a better chant that closer resembles the fans Jose chant.
another thing, the loud speaker never sounded like Jo-se…they got a cut of that sound to come as close as possible TO OUR JOSE CHANT. But now people from ESPN and FOX are looking at the chants and going by what the loud speakers are saying and not us. This chant has been going on for years at Shea and it was Shea who catered to us, not vice versa.
GET IT RIGHT STARKS!
and Cliff don’t know what he is talking about because he is always humming Big Pimpin to himself anyways!
Omar is gonna be on Screamin A in a little bit.
After that he’s going to have my boy Curtis Martin. I hate Screamin A, but he has a nice line up today.
I won’t take personal offense at the prior bandwagon comment — after 21 years, through the good times but also the lean, Vince Coleman-Bobby Bonilla-type seasons, I don’t know many who’d call that “jumping on the bandwagon”. But I will suggest that there are many fans out there who are “long time listeners, first time callers” (to message boards like this) and there is plenty of room under the tent for all of us.
Personally, I find it exhilarating to think of all the Mets fans — daily posters or not — across the country and beyond who are pulling for the team in its biggest game of the year.
Let’s Go Mets!.ie
The Mets better be wearing those same uni’s they wore last night. I love the classic met uniform. Please no black, no black bill on the hat either. Same thing baby.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FLXGY2CNwTQ
It isn’t Stark’s take I think people are surprised by, but the fact that Cliff backed him up. Where did he hear that it was Jose-O-Lay? Maybe that’s what Reyes wants. Maybe it’s something really cool that I don’t even know about. You know, and uh, and I started feeling… what? what I thought we were in the trust tree in the nest, were we not?
I read very little in the thread last night. if I had time, i would go back but i dont
Anna, when the mets are down the doubters come out in force and people get tired of hearing it. Some of the regular posters just leave rather then listen to that stuff. When the Mets are winning theres like tripe the posts from everyone. We just had a thread beat 2000 posts for the first time.
i like the black jersey; when a team wears black and thats not their normal uniform color; to me it shows they mean business: like flying a pirate flag or “no quarter asked, none given” flag; i think it would be cool if they wore all black tonight, those pinstripes were a skankee rip-off from the beginning, anyway…
Cliff should stick to dissecting J-Z songs
We doin.. big pimpin, we spendin cheese
Check em out now
Big pimpin, on B.L.A.D.’s
We doin.. big pimpin up in N.Y.C.
It’s just that Jigga Man, Pimp C, and B-U-N B
They better have on the same uni’s as last nite, you dont change your uni’s in gm 7 after winning game 6, come on now.
if they wear the black, that might worry me.
I brought it up last night and i will again….wear those pinstripes with the blue caps! Just like last night…..no contest!
I’d like to see them wearing the pinstripes too.
Except Wagner. He can wear black.
{I’m just joking around, trying to be goofy! Please, no throwing of beer or solid objects!} ;-)
Exactly you ride the uni’s. If I remeber correctly Charlie Samuels believes in that stuff and will stick with the winning uni.
I hear that Jose Valentin will actually the very jock strap that Keith wore for game 7 of the ‘86 series.
He found it in the closet of some model who was hot back then.
And one of my moles has replaced Wainwright’s pre-game toothbrush with the same one that Shiraldi used before both games 6 & 7 that year.
All the karma, mojo, feng shui. voodoo, hoodoo, and sboobie doo are in place.
Metsfan in RedSox Country my post 87 on the previous page was not dirrected at you in anyway. It was actually directed at a poll on ESPN where a ton of people had picked the Cards to win yesterday and now most of the country today was saying Mets win.
I want Glen Close to do the National Anthem
LOL mike…good stuff my man funny
BTW…this has already been the most unproductful day of work in my entire life….and I am leaving work at 3pm to tailgate at Shea
For good luck I watched my 1986 Year to Remember VHS…Does anyone know if they have digitally rematered it onto DVD. =)
LETS GO METS!
lol chris, oh well, too bad you dont have time today.
How bout that Paulie hit last nite? pretty clutch huh? LOL!!!!
and the play where he saved Maine’s ass on that wild pitch, clutch clutch clutch.
You’re absolutely right…actually, udamnwright! I heard last night that Samuels picked those unis and I hope he will again.
hell yea BCfanclub, enjoy the game bro and get that CROWD LOUD!!!!!
its a no brainer. if for some reason the mets wear black tonight I will make up a consiracy theory that involves John Franco, Al Leiter, and a radio.
I don’t understand why its so bad for people to have some doubt. We are all rooting for a baseball team and have no control over the situation, so of course you will have some doubt.
Tonight’s game is definitely a toss-up. We all know it. We have to hope a pitcher with a 6.5 ERA this year can get through the first 2/3 innings on 3 days rest. If you doubt have the slightest bit of doubt, than you are not human. On the flip side, all of us have seen what a resilient team we have and we all have confidence too this team call pull it off tonight. As I said yesterday, the key to tonight’s game is the top of the first inning. If Perez can get through it unscathed, the crowd will go nuts and I have a strong feeling we will hack Suppan early tonight. He had his career game, now it back to the slob he has been most of his career.
i always thought the starting pitcher got to pick the uniform…. i know ollie would go with the all blacks…. he was decked out in black leather last night
seriously…I cant even believe some ppl want them to wear the black, yea custer I’m looking at you ;) LOL
Black reminds me of “Who let the dogs out” and John Franco getting a horsie ride on Piazza’s back
Please no black!
Yea Hubie I hear what ur saying, but in the 1st inning, I dont need posters jumping off the ship and saying we’re gonna lose cuz 2 guys reached base or I’m gonna go slit my wrists, which someone said.
If I was in Shea and someone in the stands in my section said we’re gonna lose the game in the 1st inning, I would get on them just as much.
Everyone feels doubt, there’s no need to express it all the time.
Shea, Am I correct in my memory that Charlie Samuels also has a little superstition that will make him stick with the pinstripes.
Why would change the uni after last nights win. I turned the tv on and saw the pinstripes and it made me happy it made me feel like the Mets were home and Shea and ready to deliver a win.
what’s so strange about wanting them to wear all black tonight, you can’t deny it is a sharp looking, cool, unique uniform… and i think it sends the right message: WE MEAN BUSINESS
i saw on animal planet that male lions with black manes lead the pride more often than the tawny maned lions fyi…
Yup, the pinstripes gave me confidence too. We look so good in them, I pray we have them on again tonight. Lets go Charlie!!!!
I dont get the whole wearing black means business.
Does that mean those 3 goth kids that smoked pot behind my high school just meant business? LOL
Neyer on Espn.com has an Insider article on Perez, apparently calling him the “worst game 7 starter ever.” F* u Neyer. Can somebody who is an “insider” please cut and post this article on the thread?
So on another note. During last nights post game interviews Heils had a t-shirt on that was partially covered by a jacket. So what I could see of the shirt said “m not dead y” my guess is it said “I’m not dead yet”. I like that
oh for heaven’s sake; wear the sissified pinstripes then ,if that will keep the geeks happy; we’ll wear the black when the tigers come to town…
I read about a study where a large group of people were meditating on peace and the crime rate dropped by something like 80 or 90% in that area. Consciousness is supposedly sent out in waves of energy that can be picked up at the other end like radio waves except it travels at the speed of light. So believe what you want. It can’t hurt to send the boys some love especially just before key situations in the game. Love being the most potent form of consciousness. Send some vibes to the umps to make the calls in favor of the REAL good guys too. It can’t hurt to try.
Keith - I’ll post that article for ya.
GAME THREAD IS OPEN!!!! LETS DO THIS
7 HOURS and 6 minutes!!!!!
here ya go Keith:
LOL custer I like the way you think buddy :)
I’ve wondered if the black uni’s allow the other team to pick up the ball easier from our pitchers. You know, more contrast between the white ball and the black jersey.
I have been a stat man for the whole series but with this met team and a Game 7 it is all about heart…i have a really good feeling about tonight. Remember how confident Mex, Darling, Straw said they were the night of the Game 7 rain out in 86, they knew they were going to win. I have the same feeling about tonight. Like Steve Summers said in Simply Amazin regarding Game 6 once Mitchell tied the game…”It didn’t matter if the red sox were bringing in Cy Young, the game was over”
I have heard that Willie has given his usual travel iterinery to each player today…..for Detroit.
I totally agree. There is no need to be negative if for some reason we got down early tonight. We will not be shut down again by Suppan. No f’in chance!
Perhaps those meditating were the ones commiting the crime and the meditating kept them too busy to commit the crimes? j/k
But yeah, nothing but positive energy tonight, say a prayer to whatever Mets fans you know that have shuffled off this mortal coil, fulfill every superstition you have it can’t hurt. The Mets will find a way to win tonight…
Thanks dptydwg420,
that bit about Suppan is a silver lining of sorts. He’s damn near the bottom of the game 7 list in starters as well…
game thread already!? i like it. early and often, like we will score tonight. switching over..
I can tell you this. There will be a mortal human being calling balls and strikes behind the plate tonight that might be influenced by the 56,000 crazed NY’ers around him.
IF I DONT LOSE MY VOICE TONIGHT, I NEVER WILL
you really dont want to do this, do you? You mentioned the good but not the bad. Who the hell in their right mind calls for sliders against Scott Rolen, who cant get around on a fastball?
Im out for awhile. I am sick as a dog today
Willie said that is what he was going to talk to the team about yesterday during his interview with Mike&theDog
OK, you all saw my omens yesterday — and how they turned out. Here comes today’s omen:
I put my iPod shuffle on just a few moments ago. 2,500 songs. Which is the first one it selected at random?? “Oliver’s Army,” by Elvis Costello.
Coincidence? I think not.
Which Oliver? Who cares.
LET’S GO METS!!!!!!!!
Nice omen 86. Lovin it.
LETS GO METS!
Naw Chris i dont wanna discuss it I guess. Didnt mean to upset ya man
Im keeping the 1986 game 6 ticket stubs, the mookie wilson auto ball, and the bill buckner card on top of the tv again. Game 7 now Baby!!!! Lets Go Mets!!!!!!!!!