A Running Folly

For as much as John Buck was a huge factor in Saturday's 7-3 victory over the Marlins, so was Juan Pierre. And their paths collided on multiple occasions during the game … between Pierre bobbling Buck's two run double, and Pierre's baffling interference call when he collided with Buck well into foul territory after scoring a run, this was the kind of game that makes the winning team feel good about itself, and gets 35-year-old outfielders cut.

"It's kind of weird they get rewarded for making a bad throw."  –Juan Pierre

No Juan, they got rewarded because you, despite being fast, couldn't avoid a lumbering catcher who was a good fifteen feet away from home plate. He's like the guy on the train who insists on standing right near you just to get near the doors closest to the staircase even though the rest of the train car is empty.

But what heartened me most, more than Jon Niese's gutty outing, Buck's four RBI's, and the fact that the Mets' defensive atrocities on the infield didn't hurt them this time (they were neutralized by Miguel Olivo pretending that baserunners were trying to steal right-center field instead of second base), was the proof that sometimes fans in good seats pay attention to the game:

Home plate umpire Jim Joyce stopped play in the eighth inning of the Mets' 7-3 victory over the Marlins on Saturday afternoon to ask that fans behind home plate stop tipping off pitch locations for Mets hitters. "Apparently, there was a couple of fans screaming out location or something like that," Mets catcher John Buck said. "So, obviously, we don't want that. That could get somebody hurt. That's Little League. But we appreciate the passionate fans." According to Buck, the veteran umpire Joyce intervened when Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo realized that fans were shouting out locations with pitcher Chad Qualls in the game.

Bless those fans. Sure, you don't want people getting hurt, but fans that pay for those primo seats actually paying attention to the game instead of waving to get on television or talking on their cell phones incessantly? And trying to make a difference? Those people should be rewarded, yet of course they won't. My only question: Was it really necessary to shout out pitch location with Chad Qualls on the mound? The guy with an ERA of LOL? Why risk injury for that?