After approximately a month-long hiatus, (that's now twice that I've used that word in two days, here and on the evite to my July 4th party) I'm back in the swing of things and ready for an update. It's been a long month since my last trip to Shea. Tonight, we embark on our third game of the 6-Pack plan, coming in with a 1-1 record. Before we get to that, let's take a trip down memory lane and see what life was like, one month ago today.
One month ago today, the Mets were 25-16, in first place, 3 games up on the 22-19 Phillies, 4.5 games up on the 21-21 Braves. The Yankees were 23-17, 1.5 games back of Boston. Since then, the Mets have gone 18-9, and increased their lead to 9.5 over the Phillies (12-14) and 15 over the LAST PLACE BRAVES (9-19). The Yankees have gone 15-12 and remain 1 game behind Boston for first in the AL East.
My girlfriend hadn't graduated college yet. El Duque was a struggle Diamondback. Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was still alive. (NOT ANYMORE!! U.S.A.!!!) Kaz Matsui was still a Met. (NOT ANYMORE!!! LET'S GO METS!!) Sorry, anywho, needless to say, a lot has happened since Mike and I willed David Wright's fly ball over Johnny Douchemon's head.
After a full night of drinking in Massapequa, myself, Mike, and Big Bruce packed up the jeep and headed for Shea at around 3:30 PM on a cloudy Friday, May 19th. That's when the skies opened. Out of fear of what might transpire, considering last year's rain delay and subsequent heckling of Broadway singers, Mrs. R warned us to behave ourselves. Behave? I'm ALWAYS being have!
As we pulled into the parking lot at around 4:30, we found that our spot had been unclaimed and we were in for a long tailgate. First was the two Met fans a few rows away, one wearing a Piazza jersey, the other, ready for this?...a Roberto Alomar jersey. Why God? Why? By the way, for all the pictures from this game and the entire 2006 season, go to community.webshots.com/user/rickter35.
As the crew began to file in, we lit up the grill, only to be stopped by the brainless New York City Park Police, telling us no grilling today. Since the Yankees were in town, they didn't want us taking up parking spots. Fine and dandy, one problem, WE USED OUR OWN SPOT. So every time they left we would light up again. It's good to have a cop with the party. SCREW YOU NYC PARK POLICE!! We watched as the other tailgate parties without the police connection dropped like flies, which leads me to one point. I noticed that when the cops approached one party for breaching the law, obviously a cop was amongst the party, and they were let go. This is pretty standard, I have no problem with this. What I DO have a problem with is going two cars over and busting them for the same charge. How about some consistency there boys? That's why I'm a firefighter and not a cop. Don't get me wrong, I respect and 100% support the men in blue, but let's use our brains a little.
Back to the story. This was also the time that I found it Caron's name is not spelt K-A-R-E-N. Oops. From now on, any mention of Ms. Butler, will include a different spelling. By the time we reached the stadium, Mike and I were a good 6 soda's deep and it was time to pee. Well, there went my no-hitter superstition. (See previous post from Brian Bannister's MLB debut. We made it to our seats in plenty of time. Some observations: The older, beligerant Red Sox fan with his Boston had and 1986 style jacket booing Johnny Damon so viciously, you could see the venom pouring from his mouth, the Yankee crowd was very subdued, almost scared as to what was about to occur, and no Jumpsuit Jim in our section.
The pitching matchup: Randy Johnson for the Yankees and Jeremi Gonzalez for the Mets. Another other year and this seems more lopsided than the Bay of Pigs invasion. But Randy had been so brutal to that point, we knew it would be a shoot out. And it was.
After the first four Yankees had reached base, we knew we found a great replacement for Victor "Hoover" Zambrano, yet we wouldn't let the life be sucked out of us this time, even after the Yanks put up a four spot in the first. We knew we had to rally the troops. The homerun game was in effect.
Luckily, because Mike was so drunk that he couldn't put a coherent sentence together, I was able to blurt out X-man before he could. Big Bruce picked LoDuca, X-factor picked Beltran, Karin picked Kaz, (as a last resort), I believe Dan had Cliff the big red dog, Mike had Wright, and Tara had Dago-Dago.
Bottom of the first, 2 on, no out, X-factor picks up the cash as Beltin-Beltran launches one onto the Van Wyk and the Mets are down a run. Elation, and here come the RAN-DY chants.
Gonzalez sets em down 1-2-3 in the second, hmm, is this a new Jeremi speaking in class today? Mets get nothing in the bottom half. J.G. give up a run again as he reverts back to first inning Gonzo.
Then the bottom half of the third. X-man up, 2 outs, Wright on first, and odds put up for him to slam one out. Here comes another $12 back my way as the X-man slams one just below the scoreboard in right. RAN-DYYYYYYYY!!!! RAN-DYYYYYYY!!
Suddenly this game is becoming eerily similar to the game in 1999 when the Mets won 9-8 on a 2-out bases loaded 2-run pinch hit single by Matt Franco off of Mariano Rivera. More to come on that later.
Top of the 4th, Kelly Stinnett, (former Met, imminent Met killer), filling in for the injured Jorge Posada singles home Jeter to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead. Once again, another obscure former Met comes back to haunt us.
Between innings, T-Rup, through her connections gets picked to play the fill in the blank game on the big screen as Mike and I make faces in the background. Fill in the blank...Score...... Listening to the two drunk idiots behind her, she picks scoreboard. We all knew she had it won until Aaron Heilman told us the correct answer was scoreCARD. Stupid game.
The Yankees lead would hold until the 5th when Kaz Matsui of all people lashed a two out single to bring home David Wright with the tying run.
Then the bullpen took over as Darren Oliver, Aaron Heilman and the Sandman, mowed down 15 straight Yankees, the last three, Giambi, A-Rod and Stinnett, all falling victim to the Sandman by way of strikeouts. Billy was fired up. In all my years of going to Shea, I had never seen the crowd buzzing so much for each strike out. Take that and stick it up the poop shoot Yankees fans. Somewhere during this time, Jumpsuit Jim showed up and said he was sitting somewhere else, but he's ready to take on the Yankees in his normal seat now. Thank God he's on our side.
The bottom of the ninth look more like a Yankees 9th, than a Mets', as Mariano couldn't do anything Wright. After Reyes popped out, the Duke doubled, Beltin Beltran struck out and they walked Delgado to get to David Wright as Mike screamed, "NEVER INTENTIONALLY WALK TO GET TO DAVID WRIGHT!!! NEVER!!!"
Here's the odd thing. In the afformentioned 1999 game, Rickey Henderson was on with 1 out and the Mets down by a run when Edgardo Alfonzo doubled (a ball that should have been caught by "Gold Glover" Bernie Williams, oh the irony, but I digress), John Olerud grounded out to first and they walked Piazza to get to Matt Franco, the 5-hitter at that point in the game. With a 1-2 count, Franco roped a single to right. Henderson scored and Fonzie beat O'Neill's throw to the plate as Shea went bonkers. At that time, it was the greatest game I had ever seen live, until Benny blasted won to send the Giants into the buzzsaw that was Bobby Jones in 2000.
David Wright, again the 5-hitter, faced Mariano, the GREATEST RELIEVER OF ALL TIME, and stroked a 2-2 pitch over the head of a scrambling Johnny Damon and Lo Duca came home with the winning run as Howie Rose proclaimed "Put THAT one in the books!!"
It was third greatest game that I had ever attended. It was one month ago today. It was a game that I will never forget. As I turned to jump on Mike in celebration, I realized he was gone. He was 7 rows up hugging and high fiving people he had never met. That's what this team is doing, giving us fans hope and bringing us together. There's excitement at Shea and that's why I look forward to seeing El Duque on the mound, a human firework, himself.
As we walked out of the ballpark, we led a rambunxious Mets crowd in a drunken, hoarse version of New York, New York. It was so great to see the Yankees fans walk out so dejected. I ever ran into one of my old college buddies, Paco, who is a big Mets fan. Once again, the 2006 Mets, bringing fans together, one win at a time.
