The Most Heartbreaking Loss?

As the biggest New York Mets fan on earth, I’ve enjoyed many terrific wins in my lifetime, but unfortunately, there have been more heartbreaking losses than I care to remember……….but of course I do.  The biggest one just may have come on Friday night.  Before I get to that, let me try (off the top of my head) to make my list of Met-heartbreaking losses.  (Maybe this will be therapeutic for me).

Games 7 of the 1973 World Series.  I was 7 but I clearly remember Wayne Garrett popping out to Bert Campaneris to end the series as the Mets came up one victory short of their 2nd title in 4 years.

September 1985.  The Cardinals beat the Mets 2-1 at Shea Stadium in the heat of a pennant race.  (I’d have to wait another year for October euphoria).

NLCS 1988.  Mike Scioscia hits an unprobable home run off of Dwight Gooden.  The Mets would go on to lose the series.

NLCS 1999.  Kenny Rogers walks in the winning run against Atlanta in game 6.  Series over.

Game one 2000 World Series.  TimoPerez doesn’t run hard from first base with 2 outs when Todd Zeile’s drive hits the top of the wall at Yankee Stadium.  Perez gets thrown out at home and the Mets go on to lose in extra innings.

 Game 2 2006 NLCS.  Scott Spezio hits a triple (a ball Shawn Green should’ve caught in right field) to help the Cardinals steal a win.  (Mets would’ve been up 2-0 in the series).

Game 72006 NLCS.  Carlos Beltran looks at a called strike 3 with the tying runs on base to end the game and the series.

Every single loss in September of 2007 and 2008 ending with that game at home to the Cubs when Daniel Murphy led off the 9th inning of a tie game with a triple only to have David Wright strike out, Ryan Church ground out and Ramon Castro strike out.  The Cubs would then win in extra innings.

A few weeks ago in Los Angeles.  Top of the 11th inning, tied 2-2.  Ryan Church scores the go-ahead run on Angel Pagan’s double but gets called out for MISSING 3RD BASE!!!!!!!  The Dodgers would go on to win 3-2.

And finally…..Friday night…..This one could top everything I just wrote.  Every Met fan will forever be scarred by what happened at Yankee Stadium 4 days ago.  Anytime the Mets and Yankees play, there’s always a “playoff” atmosphere and Friday was no different.  The Mets had a 6-3 lead halfway through only to have the Yankees come back to take a 7-6 lead.  The Mets tied it up in the 7th then took the lead in the 8th 8-7.  In the bottom of the 9th withFrancisco Rodriguez on the mound going for his 17th straight save, Derek Jetersingles with one out.  After Rodriguez strikes out Johnny Damon, he intentionally walks Mark Texiera to pitch to Alex Rodriguez.  2 outs, 2 on…..on a 3-1 pitch K-Rod gets A-Rod to pop up to 2nd base.  Game over right?!?!?!?!   WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Luis Castillo, a former gold-glover, looks shaky settling under the ball.  It’s a routine play but something goes horribly wrong.  He reaches up with ONE-HAND and the ball pops out of his glove.  Jeter and a hustling Texiera score the tying and winning runs and the Mets lose.  I didn’t speak for an hour.  I’m still sickened by the thought of what happened.  Every die-hard Mets fan is feeling the same way.  This obviously wasn’t in the playoffs or even in a playoff race, however I can’t imagine a more shocking and gut-wrenching Mets loss.  If Rodriguez would’ve doubled or homered, I would’ve been very upsetbut it wouldn’t have stuck with me like this.  This simply should not and could not have happened…….yet it did.   

I think I feel much better…………………………………….I think.

Melvin Takes the Hit

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie.  Team underachieves, manager or head coach gets fired.  It happens all the time and often it’s not justified.  Bob Melvin does not deserve to be out of work this morning, but I understand it and no doubt so does he.  He was the manager of year 2 seasons ago when he guided the young Diamondbacks to the NLCS.  Nothing much has worked since….but he’s done the same job.  He’s not at fault at all in my opinion.  Here’s the team he was dealt this season.  Let’s begin with the good part…the pitching staff.   His ace,  Brandon Webb has made one start (a very bad one) because he’s hurt.  Dan Haren has been very good but hasn’t gotten any run support.  Doug Davis is what he is…a somewhat effective lefty starter.  Yusmeiro Petit?….c’mon.  Max Scherzer has a lot of potential but has yet to win a major league game.  There is really nobody in the bullpen that you can count on in middle relief and how comfortable do you feel handing the ball to Chad Qualls in the 9th inning with a one run lead? 

Now the most ridiculous part of what Melvin was given this year.  The offense.  As a team, the Diamondbacks are hitting .222.  That’s the worst average in the major leagues.  If you want to fire somebody, fire hitting coach Rick Schu  (which they did)….but not Bob Melvin.  Leadoff hitter Felipe Lopez has been getting on base, but nobody has been driving him in.   Pick out anybody else in this lineup and you can say the very same thing:  They are under-performing.

Stephen Drew is the team’s best hitter and he’s been hurt for a good chunk of the year.  Mark Reynolds continues to strike out at an ALARMING RATE!!!!!  He’s on pace to hit whiff 200 times again this year.  I know he’ll probably hit 25-30 home runs, but if you strike out as much as he does, you better hit 50 homers!!!  Chris Young is absolutely overmatched right now.  Eric Byrnes has completely forgotten how to hit.  Conor Jackson is streaky and provides little power.  Same exact deal with Chad Tracy.  Chris Snyder has way too many holes in his bat this season.  I could go on and on.  Justin Upton started very poorly but has since performed very well at the plate so credit Melvin for sticking with the young phenom.  Offensively, the only thing I can blame Melvin for this year is not making Augie Ojeda an everyday player.  Put him anywhere because he knows how to hit.  He does the little things very well and is always in the middle of a rare Dback rally.     

Can the young Diamondbacks be inspired by this managerial change and make a run in the NL West this season?  The answer is a very loud….”NOT LIKELY”.  This just isn’t a good baseball team and Bob Melvin has taken the hit for it.  It comes with the territory of being a major league manager but it still doesn’t make it right.  He is a classy man who deserves better.  If not for him, the Diamondbacks may not have ever won the world series in 2001.  He played a major role that year as Bob Brenly’s bench coach.  GM Josh Byrnes….the man who constructed this team, is now solely on the hot seat.   The new manager, AJ Hinch, has no managerial experience and is being thrown into this situation by Byrnes.  Some would say it’s risky…….some would say desperate.  Either way, Byrnes has no one else to blame now.

Good luck Bob…..we’ll miss you.

Music Memories

I know I’m not alone in this, but I can’t believe how much music brings out so many vivid memories.  For me, it’s even  more powerful than photographs.   My “music-library memory” is never-ending….it just keeps growing as I grow older.  I probably have 50 or so songs that trigger deep memories of my life.  So much so that when I hear a song, it completely takes me back to where I was and what I was doing when the song was a hit.  I  “return” to that time for just a moment.  It’s eerie, and even though it always happens, it surprises me each time. 

I was just watching a recent interview with Kenny Loggins and he was talking about how when he sings some of his past hits, they not only bring back vivid memories of what he was feeling when he wrote the song, but it also fosters new feelings of what the lyrics can currently mean.  It’s just another example of how strong music can be.   Some of Loggins’ songs are certainly in my memory-library…..in fact, his songs cover 3 decades for me (70’s, 80’s and 90’s).  He’s one of those artists that I don’t consider one of my “clear-cut favorites”, yet has had a powerful impact on me.  Bob Seger falls into that same category.   If I had to list all the artists and all the songs that “almost literally” bring me back to a past time, I would be writing and reminicing until midnight, so I’ll just leave it that there are many.

But I will tell you this as I shift from one sense to another…………..there are 2 “smells” that automatically take me back to my childhood, and they are so strong that for a moment, it really is 1973 for me.  These 2 scents will tell you all you need to know about my childhood.  1. The smell when you put a baseball glove up to your face.  2. The smell of fresh basil.  If I put those two together…..suddenly I’m 7 years old and I’m having a catch next to my grandparents garden!!!  What an innocent time that was so no wonder I love taking “trips” back.  Music, baseball gloves and basil really do it for me.

No Stopping Sports

In most cities, there’s a “down” time for sports.  Phoenix used to be that way, but not anymore.  There is no rest for avid sports fans here in this major market called the valley of the sun.  As I check the date, it’s March 5th…..and there’s so much going on right now (but then again, you can say that for every month of every year here).  The Cardinals just signed the guy they HAD to sign….Kurt Warner is in for two more years and he deserves every penny he got!  The Suns are trying to break through and be among the 8 playoff teams.  It’ll be tough without Amare Stoudemire, but they should do it.  By the way, Alvin Gentry is now 6-4 as head coach.  The ASU Sun Devils are still vying for their first conference title in basketball and no doubt will be in the NCAA Tournament.  Once you get in, who knows what can happen in March Madness.  Of course even if ASU didn’t go, the valley would still be buzzing because we host a west regional this year.

Baseball needs it’s own paragraph.  The regular season will be here in less than a month so right now spring training takes center stage.  The Diamondbacks are going to get good pitching this year, but the defense and baserunning will have to improve.  Hopefully that “timely” hitting from 2007 will return too!  I will certainly have my eye on what Mark Reynolds does this season.  I’m still shaking my head that he set the major league record in strikeouts AND led the league in errors last season!!!!!  Let’s see how long Bob Melvin sticks with him as a starter if those numbers don’t drastically decrease.  I know he’s got power at the plate, but if you’re going to strike out 204 times, you better hit at least 40 home runs and drive in 130!!!  Matt Williams is working with him at third base this spring, so hopefully that will cut down on his errors.  Most of his miscues last year were because of bad throws…..I never saw Williams make a bad throw in his career, so Reynolds can really learn from him.   (I guess I should’ve said “Mark Reynolds” needs his own paragraph!!!)

Anyway, as a big sports fan, I’m excited about where we are right now in the valley and hopeful the Cardinals good fortune will be contagious.

Now That’s More Like It!!!

282 points in 2 games!!!  I know those games were against the Clippers, but what the Suns have done the past couple of nights is very impressive.  “Impressive” won’t be a big enough word if they run the Celtics out of the gym this weekend.  Obviously, they can’t expect to have this “Clipper”sort of success against better teams, but at least the Suns are back to playing the brand of basketball they were built to play.  Whenever you have Steve Nash as your point guard and you don’t take full advantage of his up-tempo ability, you’re doing something wrong.  Clearly, Robert Sarver, Steve Kerr and Terry Porter were doing something wrong.   They went into this season trying to erase any sort of memory of Mike D’Antoni.  It was a colossal mistake.  In December, they finally realized it and tried to go back to an abbreviated running style.  It wasn’t enough.  With the firing of Porter Sunday, the Suns have done a complete turnaround (and even though he’s not gloating publicly , D’Antoni probably can’t stop laughing to himself in New York).

It’s very clear that Sarver doesn’t know much about basketball.  He’s a banker and a real estate guy.  However, Kerr should’verealized that you can’t put a square peg in a roundhole…..in fact, if the Suns want to consistently put the ball in the round hole, they have to play the way D’Antoni designed them to play.  Alvin Gentry is the only holdover from D’Antoni’s staff,  so he’s the perfect guy to now run this team.  2 games in…..he’s a genius.   It’s now likely that Amare Stoudemire won’t be traded because this run and gun style fits him perfectly.   So there’s hope.  You never know what can happen in the playoffs if you make it ”into” the playoffs.  With 29 games remaining, Phoenix will most likely get in and that will get the fans excited again.  Maybe not like a few years ago when this team was one of…if not the best in the league.  I fully believe if Sarver didn’t let Joe Johnson go, this team would have a championship ring.  Johnson was and is that good.  That was the biggest mistake Sarver has made since taking ownership of this team (and he’s made quite a few). 

Hopefully, something can be salvaged from this season.  They’re off to a great 2nd half start.

A Final Report On Super Bowl 43

I’ve been back long enough.  It’s time for me to blog about being at the Super Bowl.   Let me start by saying that I still truly can’t believe the Cardinals were there.  It didn’t really hit me until I saw them come out onto the field on Sunday a few hours before the game, and even then it was hard to comprehend.  After all, I’ve been reporting on this franchise for over 10 years and I, like just about everybody else, never ever thought this time would come.  Let’s just hope it wasn’t just a fleeting moment.  Let’s just hope this organization has really turned a corner and is competitive every year. 

We arrived in Tampa early Monday afternoon.  When you’re covering the Super Bowl, you really have to get to town the week prior to the game.  That’s the time for the media.  We hype and hype and hype and then hype the game some more.  The players hate it, but the fans love it and that’s who we do our jobs for.  This was my 5th Super Bowl, each one is different, but one thing always remains constant….at least for me.  Rain.  Boy did it come down on us Wednesday night.  Our live reports turned into a comedy routine!  It was hard to even hear myself talk because of the sound of the rain on my umbrella.  Why they call it the “sunshine state” I’ll never know.  It rained on us the same way in Miami a few years earlier for Super Bowl 41.   Not that any of you care, but when you cover the Super Bowl, it’s really not that much fun.  It’s not as exciting as you might think, but the trick is to make it seem that way during our reports.  By the time Friday rolled around, I was really tired of anything and everything Super Bowl related…..and the game was still 2 days away!!!

Thankfully that excitement really came back when I saw those red jersey’s on the field Sunday…(and it REALLY came back when I got to see Bruce Springsteen perform live)…..but nothing prepared me for that feeling I got in a damp stadium media room late in the 4th quarter.  I was watching on a television (just like you) when Larry Fitzgerald caught that pass over the middle and streaked into the end zone with 2 and a half minutes left in the game.  I said to myself, “My God, the Cardinals are going to win the Super Bowl!!!”  I wasn’t prepared for that.  Then a few moments later I found myself saying, “I’ve waited my whole life for a Super Bowl overtime, and finally I’m going to see one!!!”  Of course neither happened.

It was a very memorable Super Bowl for all involved and even though it was A LOT of work, I’m so glad I was there…………….and now I’m so glad I’m back!!!

It’s Just Amazing!

This is “amazing.”  I can’t think of another word to describe it.  It’s just “amazing” to me that the word “amazing” is being so overused.  It’s been happening for a few years now and finally I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like I have to do something to keep me from going insane.  Maybe writing about it will help me deal with it better. 

 

“Amazing” used to be such a feel-good word for me because it’s a nickname for my beloved New York Mets……(the Amazing Mets).  Now I cringe every time I hear because I hear it all the time!!!…… “He’s amazing”,  “She’s amazing”, “That experience was amazing”, “That song is amazing”, “It was an amazing game”, “We had an amazing vacation”,  “Everybody was so amazing”, “His voice is amazing”, “That show was amazing”…………..IT NEVER STOPS!!!!!  Can’t we as a society find a different word to describe things?……how about “Terrific” or “Wonderful” or “Extraordinary”?  Yes those words are used often, but not to the amazing extent that “amazing” is.

 

If you think I’m just a complete crazy person, please do me a favor…..try to concentrate today on just how many times you hear somebody use the word “Amazing”.  You’ll be amazed!  It seems to be the favorite word of every female age 8 to 40.  They actually use it more than the word “cute” is used on any given shopping spree. 

 

On Monday night, I happened to watch about 20 minutes of “The Bachelor”. 

I heard the word “amazing” at least once a minute.  It was incredible!!!  (see….that’s another word that can be substituted).  I was shocked to find that during that show, the word (which I will no longer mention) was uttered by the bachelor more than the women!!!  He couldn’t think of any other word to describe his experience?  Wouldn’t you think somebody would tell him!?!?!  The producers, the director, the host……somebody!!!!????  I was yelling at the television, but apparently, he didn’t hear me.

 

I’m exhausted writing about this….but I do feel a little bit better.  Maybe I’ll come to grips with this situation soon and just embrace the word and use it as much as everybody else does.  That would be __________!!!!!!!!   

(You knew I had to end this blog that way).

College Football Is Here…..And I Don’t Care.

I just can’t give myself to college football.  Never have, never will.  I’ve tried and it’s just not in me.  I spent 8 years working in Alabama as a sportscaster and I got exposed to more college football than most people……and I think it only pushed me further away from the sport.  Given that I’ve loved sports my entire life and that I spent 17 years as a sportscaster, you’d think college football would hold a special place in my heart.  It seems everybody else who loves sports feels that way…….but not me. 

Why?  I’ve asked myself that question many times.  It’s a complicated answer.  First of all, I spent the first 13 years of my life in New York.  That is a portion of the country that doesn’t hold college football in a high regard.  New Yorkers are too busy dealing with the Mets, Yankees, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers and Islanders.  Can you name a good college football program that calls New York home?????  I can’t.   I went to ASU….a school where football is the top sport.  Even back then, I remember not getting as excited as my Sun Devil friends for Saturday night games, yet I always thought of myself as a bigger sports fan than any of them.  I guess I’m a pro sports elitest.  I want to watch the best athletes play….not just the best athletes from high school.  

Finally, I think the main reason I can’t get into college football is that I’m just too busy watching the pennant races in baseball.  This is the most exciting time of the season for any big baseball fan!  I just don’t have time for college football.  I will watch the NFL because I do like football….but I won’t watch those games seriously until after the world series.  There’s just not enough room for everything and every year college football gets left on the ”cutting-room floor” in my life.

Music History At Shea

On July 18th, Billy Joel played a concert in front of 55,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.  Billy Joel is as big as it gets for New Yorkers, so this concert was destined to be very memorable, especially since Shea Stadium will be knocked down at the end of the year.  That stadium has been home to the New York Mets since it was built in 1964.  It’s also been the site of many concerts, none bigger than in 1965 when the Beatles played there.  That one show is the most famous stadium concert ever.  That’s why what happened on July 18th was so special.

Months ago,  Billy had asked one of the two living ex-beatles, Paul McCartney, to join him on stage at Shea for a song or two.  Sir Paul said he would do his best to get there but his schedule probably would prevent him from doing so.  Billy didn’t realize it when he took the stage that night about 8pm, that McCartney was on his way from London in a private jet.  Only problem was, time was running out.  Joel’s concert would last just over 3 hours.  The pilot of McCartney’s plane radioed the New York air traffic controllers at JFK Airport and got confirmation that they would be given priority clearance to land as soon as they entered the local airspace.  They touched down at 11pm.  Then with the help of police, McCartney made it to Shea from JFK in just 11 minutes!!!  Billy Joel had to presume McCartney wasn’t coming.  Then Sir Paul appeared backstage looking for a guitar strap.  Joel was alerted.  He then whispered to his band to start the intro to “I Saw Her Standing There”.  Paul walked on stage and suddenly the crowd turned from 55,000 to 55,001.  Even though Joel was playing the piano, at that point, he was just as much of a fan as anybody else.  43 years after rocking Shea with John, George and Ringo, Paul McCartney was once again on stage in Queens with his Hofner bass.  History was made all over again.

Even though it sounds like I was there, I wasn’t.  I was in New York at Shea the week before watching my beloved Mets.  Unlike Paul, my travel plans didn’t allow me to be there, but I’ve watched it and so can you!  Just go to “youtube” and type in “Billy Joel at Shea Stadium”.  There are many video accounts of what happened.  If you’re a big music fan like me, I guarantee you, you’ll have chills watching McCartney play Shea one final time.  He came back out minutes after “I Saw Her Standing There” to sing “Let It Be”.  For that one, Billy got up from the piano and let his idol sit down and play instead. 

Just think, Billy Joel and Paul McCartney playing at Shea in the summer of 2008 and the Mets winning the world series at Shea in the fall of 2008.  What a way to close out a stadium!!!

July 4th

Friday is our country’s birthday!  July 4th always makes me feel good.  I have great memories of this holiday.  Actually, it’s one of my favorites.  I love everything about it.  Even though I won’t be part of our coverage this year at Tempe Town Lake, I was a big part of it the last 4 years and I loved every minute of the day.  Even though it was always a very hot, long day (and technically I was working), I still really enjoyed myself because after all, no matter how you slice it………it’s the 4th OF JULY!!!!!!

I always think of music when the 4th comes along.  There are so many great songs that are associated with the day, and I enjoy all of them, but one artist sums up this holiday more than any other.  John Mellencamp.  July 4th just isn’t right unless you hear about 10 Mellencamp songs.  He “is” America to me.  Bruce Springsteen runs a close second for me on the 4th, but Mellencamp definitely takes the top spot.  How can you have a 4th of July without hearing “Pink Houses”?  I always think that John is having more fun than anybody else in the country on this holiday.  What a barbecue he must throw in Indiana!!!

My most memorable 4th of July had to be 1976.  The Bicentennial.  I was 10 years old.  What a party the country had that year!  Even to this day, I don’t remember a more spectacular fireworks display.  I remember waiting for “The Finale” and it certainly didn’t disappoint!!!

Here’s hoping you have a great July 4th and always remember, “Ain’t that America for you and me, ain’t that America, its something to see, ain’t that America, home of the free, little pink houses for you and me, for you and me.”