I wish I had an answer to what makes Mike Pelfrey or any pitcher for that matter go from effective to shit in what seems like a spilt second. My post from last night during the Pelfrey melt down has been covered in the papers this morning with Young Pelfrey adding that even he doesn’t know why he lost concentration along with his command of his breaking ball in the fifth inning last night. It’s most frustrating watching a pitcher lose it on the mound. I don’t care if the pitcher is 12 years old or 22 years old or 32 years old, when you can’t hit that strike zone it’s a horror psychologically. I could come here today and slam Pelfrey for not getting it together but all that would do would make me look foolish. I’ve seen kids full of confidence warm up for me before a Little League game and watch their ball move up and down and say to myself “wow we got something here tonight” and then have the kid just throw flat pitches when the games starts. For a 12 year old it’s heartbreaking for a 26 year old it’s frustrating. What makes it more puzzling is that during the third inning Mex had said on the broadcast that “he really liked how Pelfrey was throwing” and I’m sitting gat home nodding “Me too Mex”. Just the fact that he was getting excellent movement on his breaking pitches and hand good velocity with the fastball and using the fastball to get ahead and counter with the slider to get outs was encouraging and to get two outs in the fifth inning it looked like Pelfrey was putting together another solid start. Then the command vanished and the roof caved in. My God what a humbling game. It sounds so cliché I know but it is a game of failure.
So in what should have been a golden opportunity to gain on the Phillies goes by the boards again and to tell you the truth I’m tired of yelling and getting pissed off at Willie and Omar and Jeffy and the pitching staff and the ushers at Shea really where is getting me? It’s just making the folks at Duane-Reade more money for all the ant-acids I’m buying there. Some people like chips and dip while watching a ball game I enjoy Tums and Prilozac with a Bromo Seltzer chaser as I watch the Mets. I hear ya Mex, HANG WITH EM!
Love the story by Bob Raissman in the Daily News today on Mex. He is what he is folks. He is not the guy who will stop and give you an autograph and he will never stop and shake your hand but you what that’s fine because he’s not a phony. I love the story he told last night. Gary Cohen had just sent out a get well soon to a security guard at Shea who had suffered a stroke and is rehabilitating. I’m sorry that I forget the gentleman’s name but Ron Darling and Mex also chimed in with their well wishes. Of course Mex could not stop there he said what a great guy this guard was because he never made Mex sign in to enter the visitor’s clubhouse. Cohen and Darling were taken aback a bit by this piece of info and said how they have to sign in each and every time even though they are well known. At this point Darling says very sarcastically “Well, You are Keith Hernandez” and Mex without missing a beat replies “And don’t you forget that” Priceless.
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This post was written by kranepool on September 25, 2007
They won’t have to knock down Shea Stadium:
It’ll rust away by itself
I *love* watching Mex, Ron and Gary on SNY. I LOVE Keith’s “old school” take on the game because I am the same way…but…I don’t like the fact that he won’t be the most friendly person if you want an autograph or handshake. I think that once you put on a professional uni, you made a lifelong commitment to be a role model and friendly to fans that are friendly to you. What else do I miss about Keith? IMHO, he may be the greatest on the field team leader the Mets ever had. Period. If I played on the Mets with him and he told me that doing a swan dive off the mezzanine would improve my swing, you better believe, I’d be on my way to the mez.
As long as I get a seat from the old dump I’ll be happy
O.k., quick story about a player and how he acts towards a fan and the outcome. True Story. Back around 1978, my dad took me to a Phillies - Reds game at Veteran’s statdium. My dad had been a lifelong Pete Rose fan and thought he was the greatest player. Everytime he took me to a game, we would get there while teams were taking batting practice and we would bring a ball and get autographs and we got a lot!. So at this game, my dad was extra excited because Pete was there and we go down to the fence next to the dugout watching and guess who comes out of the dugout and stands not 6 feet from the fence where me and my dad are? Yep, Pete Rose. My dad was awestruck. I was like, “Dad, give him the ball and ask him for his autograph.” My dad was too much in awe but he recovered and said “Hey Pete, could you please sign it?” and he threw the ball and a pen to Rose. Pete caught both, looked at both, and threw them back to my dad and walked away without saying a word. Not only did that ruin the entire day for my dad but my dad became a Pete Rose hater.
All I’m saying is that it doesn’t take a whole lot to be nice or at least show a little respect.
Jim Bouton recalled a similar incident in Ball Four. I believe it involved Al Dark telling the young Bouton to “take a hike, son.”
My father used to hang around outside the ballparks with his friends. They had stamped, addressed post-cards so the players wouldn’t even have to stop. They’d take the card and head off and a few days later my father would get an autograph in the mail.
Some players wouldn’t take the cards and he says that wasn’t a problem. Mantle, however, took their cards and tore them to shreds in front of them. Lost their card and the stamp - he never forgave Mantle for that.
{Obviously, they only gave the cards to Mantle once.}
Hey Kranepool,
Just wondering if at this stage you sort of wish you’d have stayed away from blogging?
Eagle,
I know you are addressing Steve, but at this point I sort of wish I never got into baseball. The past two weeks have had more of an impact on me than wife, kids, and work. It is hard to take, guys, very hard to take.
Rich,
I know. That’s why I asked Steve. I can’t concentrate on the job, can’t say anything to the family (but I’m working on a very short fuse) and I can’t sleep well.
Easily the worst two weeks I’ve ever experienced as a fan.
I never regret blogging as I have mets some great people and been given some unbelievable opportunites from it. But I am pissed with the way the Mets have played plus I am having such a great Mets eccentric week with going to Dana Brands book launch and with the preimer of Mathamatically Alive that I’m hoping the teams doesn’t make a mess out of all this.
Also I don’t know what event in Mets history is worse, if the Mets blow this lead and miss the post season or when Tom Seaver was traded (the end of the innocence) or watching Dwight Gooden go off the Smithers for rehab(that was heartbreaking) or watching Darryl Strawberry self destruct You guys tell me.
Complete apology to Steve and all readers of this blog.
I was very loaded when I ranted last night.
Totally unappropriate. Thanks, Steve, for running this blog.
Under all those nasty words was some truth though. I think Omar must go. This team is a disgrace.
Worst ‘thing’ in Met history for me was not a moment, but a phase. The saberhagen/bonilla/coleman era was excrutiating.
At least the youngblood/henderson/flynn era was with a bunch of likeable guys.
Nothing likeable about bonilla.