Random Thoughts And Random Ramblings Part Dos

By Deb McIver
Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008

So here's what I'm thinking after having observed the past week or so. And just so you know, I'm calling this "Part Dos" instead of my usual "Part Deux" in honor of the Latin flavor in the Mets organization these days. Just so you know, and all. And in case, you know, anybody cares.

This just in -- tonight, Friday April 11's game is the kind of game that makes me happy to be a Mets fan. Two hometown/organizational guys making good, after 18 years, and 13 years, respectively. Returning to the scene of the crime, as it were. Cassanova (you gotta love that name) and Figueroa. And Figueroa had about a million of his family members on hand, all squeezed into Billy Wagner's suite, bless his llama-loving soul. And what a game he gave us... what a game. And what a genuinely happy, nice and humble guy he seems to be. Everything that's good in sports. Guys like these, guys like Church, and Pagan, and stories like tonight, remind me of why I root for this team. These are the guys that are keeping me going so far this year, not the Reyeses or the Beltrans or even the Santanas, but these guys, the fringers, the guys who are actually playing for something, and leaving it on the field.

OK, back to my regularly scheduled column.

Did anybody notice that after only 22 short years, Billy Buckner finally gets a nice reception from the Fenway crowd? Funny, up until last year, I had the Vin Scully call of the Mookie Wilson/Billy Buckner grounder on my cell phone, and every single time I heard it, it reminded me both of the greatness and magnitude of the moment for Mets fans, and the sad turn of Billy Buckner’s otherwise remarkable (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bucknbi01.shtml) major league career and the misery of Red Sox Nation. Mostly, though, of the glory and joy in Metsville, if I were to be totally honest. But anyway, much like that Cub fan Steve Whatshisname that caught that ball in the playoffs a few years ago, Billy will probably forever live in infamy in the hearts, minds and souls (if they have any *snicker*) of many of the home team fans. Even despite the cheers the other night. And despite a rather good solid major league career, forever ruined, tarnished, trashed, in the shitter, because of one teeny tiny grounder off the bat of the speedy Mookie Wilson who came flying down the line as if his very life, and the very life of his team, depended on it.

Which, of course, it did.

Funny how life hands us these little defining moments, for better or for worse, huh?

And how come Omar’s the only one of the Omar and Willie duo not in potential trouble jobwise? I think the Wilpons kind of worship at the Altar of Omar. Although I understand why that is, I still think it’s something to be revisited occasionally. After all, Omar isn’t God, or anything.

I gotta tell you, I'm way less than impressed with the core of the Mets so far this year. I've mentioned some of them above, in the same breath with Figueroa and Cassanova. Shame on me. But enough of that, let's move on. So far, the Mets "core" has shown that at times, they look as bad as they did during the last half of last year. Still, they took two of three from the Phillies and beat the Brew Crew tonight, and although it wasn’t in anything like you’d call grand fashion, it’s still two of three, and wins, after all, are wins. And much much better than losses. But the Mets core was strangely absent from the list of major contributors to these events, for the most part.

Citifield is beautiful, and its looming presence in the background of Shea totally changes the flavor and feel of Shea. And probably the way the ball carries, although that’s yet to truly be seen.

And one more thing, before I get too much further into this random mess -- what's with the booing of Mets players as they were being announced at the home opener? I mean, WHAT IS WITH THAT? It's the home opener, the last one at Shea, barely a week into the new season, and the players are being booed in their own stadium before the team has even taken the field of play. Now there's a nice legacy for the end of Shea, huh? Stupid stupid stupid. And you all know I'm not the world's most rose-colored-glasses-wearing fan (duh), but booing your own players on such a special and historic day is not only stupid and thoughtless and a total disgrace, it also robs you, the fan, of a fond and enduring memory of the legacy of the last home opener at Shea, turning the day from one of respect, remembrance, admiration and love for the ol' girl into one of embarrassment and Class A rudeness and disrespect. To those of you who took part in this disgraceful spectacle, you ruined it -- yes, you did. Worse than the loss of the game that day. You, the fan, ruined it. Blame yourselves.

Ok, enough of that.

Isiah Thomas finally got cheered, albeit a long long way from New York. They’re probably the only cheers he’ll hear for a good, long time. I really wonder how much longer he has to torture Knick fans everywhere on a semi-daily basis. Not too much longer, I would think.

How about that Kansas team, huh? Nice NCAA championship win. Too bad the Rutgers women couldn’t prevail this year, but there’s always next year, and they’re still, by far, one of the classiest teams in sports today.

Is anybody but me scratching their heads over how it has come to pass that Braden “Howdy Doody” Looper has become a serviceable major league starter? Talk about unlikely events…. The really sad part of this is that Aaron Heilman's probably doing something akin to the Braden Looper Progress As A Starter Watch, and fuming in the clubhouse as each day passes... hee hee hee. More on him a bit later...

Something needs to be done about reliever stats. Guys who throw one pitch and get a win… well, if a stat is pretty much meaningless, why have it? Time to drastically revamp some of the pitching statistics, especially where relievers are concerned.

And speaking of relievers, maybe Aaron Heilman finally listened Grease movie soundtrack and heeded its warning, which is, of course, "you'd better shape up," because, well, we need a MAN out there! The Mets are obviously going to depend heavily on Herr Heilman this year, and he needs to get his act together. Tonight it appears he took a giant step in the right direction. But there is one thing that really bugs me about him, which is his body language. Whether he's good or bad, he just consistently looks, oh, I don't know, like a prune out there. Like he swallowed something bad -- LIKE HIS PRIDE!!! Sorry, had to throw that one in there, you know me. Hey, Aaron -- stop wondering and watching The Unlikely Starter -- The Braden Looper Story and thinking about what COULD BE, and focus on WHAT IS. There you go, my two cents, for free. Looks like you might be cashing those two cents in, and Mets fans everywhere are only hoping that's true.

It’s time, also, to maybe rethink the whole closer thingy. For all of baseball, and not just the Mets, who of course, can’t do that as long as Wagner’s on the team, because, well…. he’ll never go for it, for reasons that should be obvious to mostly all Mets fans, and fairly obvious to the remainder. You know, like those dumb ones who booed their own players at the home opener, but I won't bring that up again. Still, I wonder how it is that the role has almost reverse-evolved to become so small and limited, and how it’s worth the upwards of $10 million that some of these guys are making. And whether or not it should be rethought, and how it should be filled.

The Mets and Yankees are both too old. I heard somewhere recently, I think it was on Fox or something, that the Mets are the second oldest team in baseball, or at least in the NL. Hello, people! Injuries, and nagging ones, and long-healing ones, are what happens when you are old. Especially in guys that teams rely on to play every day, or most of the days. Trust me, I should know. Because I’m, like, getting older, lol.

And how about that Rangers/Devils playoff series? You know, guys, Hockey – The Other Sport?????? For the trials and tribulations and troubles of other New York franchises this year (except for the W.C. Giants, of course), the Rangers and Devils are a breath of fresh air and a great boost for the sport of hockey in the New York metropolitan area. I’ve always wondered why the Devils have so much trouble drawing fans – maybe now that they’re in Newark, they’ll draw better.

Uh, on second thought… NEWARK? I should have my head examined just for suggesting that Newark is a draw of any type whatsoever…..

That’s it for now, folks!