I'm gonna try and get through this as quickly as possible, because my patience is wearing thin. I am officially declaring Wednesday September 19, 2007 as Rick's Mets Out. Because this team refuses to play like a champion, I refuse to treat them like one. Once this article is posted, I will not pay attention to the Mets in any fashion. This means no reading from the internet, no listening to Mets talk on the radio and certainly no watching the game. It's my one-day strike. I need a break from this team. The only means that will be tough to avoid is the text messages on my phone. If possible, I will try to erase them before I can read them. My strike will be reevaluated following Game 3 against the Nationals, the Mets last game in RFK Stadium.
That being said, I did promise to recap the Return of Pedro. My brother Frank bought 2 tickets to Mets-Phillies in August 2006, as a birthday present to me, which was rained out, see: http://viewfromthegreenseats.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2006/8/29/2276266.html.
So, as a makeup, we decided to wait and finallly found the perfect game to use the rain check tickets, the Return of Pedro. We left the house pretty early, around 10:15 and headed straight for the ballpark. At that hour, there's no traffic, and although there was plenty of parking in the lot, we deferred to under the Northern Boulevard overpass for some nice free parking. Of course, we parked about 30 feet from the burned out skeleton of what looked like a minivan, never an encouraging sign of the area.
Our plan was to redeem our rain check tickets at the ticket window, then head over to the marina to Pete's Backyard for a couple rounds of 2 beers for $5. By far, Pete's Backyard is the best bet for a bar close to Shea. It's not much to look at, but you cannot beat 2 beers for $5 and you CERTAINLY cannot beat the personalities of the staff. The staff has some of the friendliest and most diehard Mets fans. Despite its small size, it packs a big punch. Take my word for it, Pete's Backyard on the pier at the marina is the place to be, just across the road from Shea, to head to for a couple of beers and food before getting ripped off inside the stadium. Remember the name, Pete's Backyard.
We stuck to the plan, but things did not go exactly as expected...
1) All morning, I kept checking the website to see what kind of tickets were available. All I kept getting was upper deck. I was fine with this, as long as they weren’t first row, or nosebleed. (Never…ever…..ever….ever sit in the very first row of the upper deck at Shea. See point 1: http://viewfromthegreenseats.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2006/10/4/2386623.html)
2) Once we got on line at the ticket booth, my findings were confirmed, as the sign on the window said available tickets were Upper Box $29, Upper Reserved $17. Being that we had $29 tickets, Upper Box would suit us just fine. (Seems reasonable.)
3) Frank: Hi, I have two rain check seats I’d like to cash in.
Ticket Booth Lady: Alright, what would you like? Best available?
Frank: Sure that’s fine.
TBL: Field level?
Frank: I thought only Upper Deck was available.
TBL: Do you not WANT Field level?
Frank: Oh no! Field level is fine.
Now here’s my problem with this: if you have field level seats available, then why don’t you sell them on the website????? You can still order tickets on game day through the website and still pick them up at Will Call. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO DECEIVE YOUR FANS?!?!?!?!!?!?!?! Think about it. If a Mets fan, who has trouble climbing stairs and can really only sit down low wants to walk up that day, they may go onto mets.com (or losmets.com) to order tickets. In seeing that only Upper Deck is all that’s available, they may decide not to go, not knowing that so many good seats down on the Field level are still available. Unfortunately, this fan decides to stay at home and misses the game, the Mets don’t sell the tickets, vending money is lost, ticket money is lost, everyone loses. A real simple fix is to post ALL available tickets online. Seriously ticket office, what is your deal? (It’s really sad that I have to bring the money aspect into it, saying what’s in it for the Mets in order to get my point across about how they can avoid constantly screwing the fans and still make money. I love this team, but I HATE THIS ORGANIZATION!!!!!!!!!)
4) Needless to say, however, after all was said and done, we had ourselves a pair of Diamond Club Seats. (Can’t go wrong with that!)
5) As we approached the marina, we were met by a group of approximately 30 men of Middle Eastern decent screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. It looked like a Chinese Parliament session, only it was Middle Eastern men. As intimidating as this may sound, Frank and I quietly watched and waited until finally, one of them said, “Hey!! Hey!! AH DERKA DERKA DERKA!!!” Then they were all friends again and went through the gate to the ferry. (All I wanted was to get my 2 beers for $5. That’s all I wanted.)
6) Ahhhhhhhhhh yesssssssssssss. 2 beers for $5. Cheaper than in the ballpark. Pete’s Backyard, folks, right on the pier in the marina. Directly across Northern Boulevard. (Seriously, for low priced, cold beer and a nice Sunday morning, or any pregame atmosphere, Pete’s Backyard is the place.)
7) Okay, I think that’s enough plugging. After our round, we went into the ballpark, waited 15 minutes on line at the elevator to head up to the Diamond Club. On our way, Mike texted me and asked, “Are you properly dressed?” (This sent Frank into a frenzy. “They better let us in. Otherwise, I’m demanding a refund. She saw how we were dressed! She should have known better.”)
8) Well, judging by the dress code on the line, I think we’re ok. (Wow, this is not the type of crowd I expected for a place that the Mets keep so secret and so exclusive.)
9) Okay, we couldn’t eat in the restaurant because we needed reservations and the line to eat in the bar was a good 40 minutes deep, but we were able to walk into the bar and drink. (How nice.)
10) “A little help! Little service? You’re a bartender, right?” (Yes, my brother was actually heckling the bartender who took 10 minutes before he noticed us.)
11) The bar has menus, SCORE!! “Okay, can we get some chicken fingers and fries?” The bartender’s response: “Sorry, I can’t do that, only waitresses can put food orders in, you’ll have to flag one down.” (This just keeps getting better)
12) “Silly me to think the bathroom in the Diamond Club would be any nicer than the ones in the grandstand.”~Frank (Yeah, he’s fired up.)
13) Before Frank’s head exploded, I made the executive decision that we finish our beer, go check out the Mets’ Hall of Fame, then head to our seats and get food there. (Big move on my part. He was seriously, gonna start an all out war with the guy.)
14) Dammit!!! Out of nowhere, we’re sitting at the bar and it hit me. I never tipped the bartenders at Pete’s Backyard. (PARTY FOUL!!!! FAILURE TO TIP THE BARTENDER, THAT’S A TWO BEER PENALTY, AUTOMATIC EMBARRASSMENT! I stink)
15) Well, that just means I have to go back again and tip them heavily. (I can’t believe I did that. This is going to haunt me.)
16) It’s always a good day when you get to see the 1969 and 1986 World Series trophies.
17) Not gonna lie, despite all the aggravation in the Diamond Club, the seats are pretty sweet.
18) Section 228, Box D. (Just letting Pepsi Girl know in case she’s around)
19) Not only is this Pedro’s return to Shea, but it’s also Long Island native and Seton Hall University Alum, Craig Biggio’s last career game at Shea Stadium. (That makes 2 announced final appearances by future Hall of Famers for me at Shea. The last time? 1997-Ozzie Smith. I feel blessed.)
20) Ironically, Mike just texted me from Great American Ballpark saying that today was Bruce Froemming’s final game umpiring in
21) Here’s a fun fact about Biggio, he has more doubles than any right handed hitter. (Wow)
22) Another text from Mike, “Weeks leads off with a 435 ft bomb followed by jj hardry home run and ryan braun hr. 9 pitches and the pitching coach just made a visit. Reds baseball!” (So happy to be a Mets fan.)
23) Next text: “Pitching change after 12 pitches.” (See #22)
24) My next question to Mike was asking how the mood of the crowd was, his response was, “Lots of Bengals talk.” (Red Baseball!!!)
25) Meanwhile, Pedro allowed a single in the first to Berkman. (Good start).
26) Reyes popped out again to start an inning. (Every time you hit one in the air, you owe me 20 pushups.)
27) That’s okay, we have Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran who can still hit line drives. 1-0 Mets.
28) Mike just made a Mike Stanton reference. (Things in
29) Luke Scott in the 2nd become’s Pedro’s first strikeout victim after a single by Mike Lamb. (Slow and steady, Pedro.)
30) After the second Pepsi Girl found me, handed me an envelope and said, “Find me over there next inning.” (Umm, okay. Thanks.)
a. I immediately texted Frank to get back here now, as he was on a bathroom run.
31) Sure enough, there she was, waiting for me, 2 sections over with the cameraman, “You won the PC Richards gift card. Just look into the camera, hold up the envelope and wave.” (I love having connections. Freakin awesome.)
32) And we got new seats a couple rows closer, in which we stayed the remainder of the game.
33) K’s 2, 3, and 4 came in the 3rd, unfortunately the first was on a wild pitch, but no further damage as Pedro worked out of a jam. (Nice to see)
34) Pedro just…WAIT WHAT??? PEDRO JUST HIT A DOUBLE!!! (PED-ROOOOOOOOOO!!! PEDRO! PEDRO! PEDROOOOOO!!!! PEDROOOOOO!!! PEDROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!)
35) Beltran’s 2nd RBI of the day comes on a sac fly to left, scoring Pedro. (Yes, Pedro
36) Pedro ran into some trouble in the 5th, loading the bases, but bared down and got Lamb to fly out to Beltran in deep center. It was the last pitch he would throw. (And what a well deserved ovation he got.)
37) I said it last game and I’ll say it again, MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I seriously don’t know how this guy does it. That was a bomb. 4-0 Mets.)
38) “You’re attention, please, ladies and gentlemen. Now pitching for the Mets, #59, Guillermo Mota.” (You can imagine the crowd reaction, to which I say, is it really making you feel better about the situation when you boo a guy before he does anything wrong? Seriously, how is this going to help the guy’s performance. At least wait for him to screw up first.)
39) CRACK!!! Home run Luke Scott. (Okay, now you can boo.)
40) Single. (BOOOOOOO!!!!)
41) Error by Mota (B……you know what, I don’t think this boo thing is working. Maybe we should try encouraging him. You know what? It worked for me last year with Jorge Julio.)
42) Strikeout, Strikeout. (See what a little encouragement can do? Come on, G-MO!!)
43) Walk. (Okay, well, we still can get out of this.)
44) Mota finally gets out of it with a force out. (Please, people. I know he sucks, but try giving the guy some support. Booing does not help the situation. I know it’s our right, but it’s really not making it better.)
45) After the Mota debacle, things went pretty smoothly, all the way up to Wagner slamming the door in the 9th. Today’s player of the game is Pedro Martinez. (Of course it is. Welcome back, Pedro. Keep up the good work. We missed you!)
Of course, most of this means nothing now considering the current situation. Let’s all remember one thing. The Mets are still in first and they are still the team to beat. It’s been upsetting, disheartening, frustrating and annoying how they’ve played this past week, but we need to remember, this team that we have been through think and thin with the last few years and this team that we have supported all our lives is much better than they have been playing. We all know this. Now let’s get off their backs and let them play. For those calling for Willie’s head, I say this, do you remember what life was like during the dark years of Art Howe, Dallas Green, Jeff Torborg, Mike Cubbage and Buddy Harrelson? Do you want that back? Those are just the names of awful Mets managers during MY lifetime. The sad thing is, I get the feeling that if I ask those same “Mets” fans if they know who Dallas Green Jeff Torborg and Mike Cubbage are, they would look at me as if I asked them what “Met” is short for. And if they do know the answer to the latter question, it’s only because Steve Somers refers to them by their full name every night.
And in case you haven’t figured it out by now, yes, I am calling out “Mets” fans who boo and inappropriate times and call for the manger’s head. I’m calling them fairweather fans, because that’s what they are and I’m tired of them. I’m talking to you Mr. Only Root for the Mets when they playing well and write them off when they are not. Whether it’s a close game or a blow out, you leave after the 8th inning. You can’t name more than 5 players not from the current era. Stay at home in October and leave seats for the real fans.
One final note, I want to thank my older brother Frank for an awesome day. He took me to my first Mets game years ago, and I wanna thank him for being such a great influence in my personal and Mets fan sides of life, as well as all others.
YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!! Now, I'm off to enjoy my one-day Mets Out. Don't worry. Win or lose, I'll be back tomorrow, I just need a break from this team for a day.
