Maybe It’s Me

The Mets defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Orange County, California by a score of 7-5 on Saturday. The game featured some history: Terry Collins became the longest tenured manager in New York Mets history (which is a record that is less reminiscent of performance and more reminiscent of a kitchen sponge hasn’t been replaced in seven years, but okay … congratulations.) Jose Reyes had his 2,000th career hit, then got himself two more hits and two runs batted in. Even Angels starter Alex Meyer added to the history by hitting a single in his first major league at-bat.

The game ran a little bit long. No doubt in part thanks to FOX and their excessive breaks which they used to show Mike Scioscia’s home run in 1988. Probably in part to Meyer’s first inning struggles which led to the first Mets run, Zack Wheeler’s 99 pitches in 5 plus innings, and the two last half innings which turned a tidy 4-2 game into a 7-5 cardiac episode thanks to new met Neil Ramirez (I was the one that said “just get anybody”, wasn’t I) and Addison Reed, who ended the game with the winning run at the plate and a shit-eating grin on his face when he finally struck out pinch hitter Danny Espinosa to end it after nine batters came to the plate in the ninth.

At least Robert “Discount deGrom” Gsellman had a good two innings out of the bullpen to hold the Angels at arm’s length. Gsellman succeeding as a reliever that can go two or three innings at a clip is vital to the success of this team this season.

Despite the victory, which was unexpected because I was at the park tonight, I have to complain about a few things because I’m grumpy. Before that I’ll just say that this had nothing to do with the David Wright Starting Lineup giveaway. Everyone in our party got them. (But you still know how I feel about 15,000 on a giveaway.) So I’ll start the complaint fest with this:

There’s a cheesesteak stand at Citi Field now. It’s located by section 132, where Keith’s Grill used to be. My review: Don’t bother. Sixteen bucks, about twelve of that is bread. And my server gave up when my hero didn’t break right down the middle. So I got very few cheesesteak innards. And it isn’t even like the innards I did get were that great. So move on.

Speaking of moving, I understand that sitting in an aisle seat has it’s downside, like constantly having to get up for people moving in and out of their seats. Fine. In our section tonight, there was nobody in our row. And yet somehow, we had a whole group of young people go through our row to get to the next section. Again, fine. But then a few innings later, one of the group comes and does the same thing. And climbs over me not only before I could get up to let him through, but during a pitch! Climbs over me, then says excuse me. Then goes through the row to the next section.

Does anybody have any f*cking ballpark etiquette anymore? Or am I just being a grumpy old man? Can I see the damn pitch before you make me get up to go one section over? Or has every ballpark in America has become a carnival a bar where people just turn and talk to each other all night oblivious to the fact that there’s a baseball game happening? I mean … not for nothing, but you paid how much for those seats? And you’re going to talk to each other all night? You know, a six pack in your living room is a lot cheaper for you millennials and your dwindling disposable income. I mean, Major League Baseball has put in automatic intentional walks to make the game friendlier for people like the ones who climbed over me  … and they’re not even watching the game!!!

But what do I know? I’m not a part of planet earth’s preferred demographic anymore. I should just lighten up and enjoy the carnival. I’ve just become a Raging … Rivera?

Today’s Hate List

1. Cam Maybin
2. Kole Calhoun
3. Alex Meyer
4. Jefry Marte
5. Cliff Pennington