Goodbye Shea – Live Blogging
Well this is it the last game perhaps ever at Shea Stadium. This season has been a roller coaster of emotions and I have risen to tremendous heights and desolute lows with this team this year. However, it all comes down to the last game of the season, and the Mets have to do it, again, against the Marlins. Last year Glavine didn’t even make it out of the first inning, and hopefully this year they can pull it off, and with a little help from the Cubs, make it into the playoffs without having to play a one game playoff tomorrow. I’ve been watching the pre-game show for an hour and a half and it’s good to see all the old Mets at the stadium talking about Shea, and some of the old memories.
One moment they have been talking about a lot in Piazza’s homerun after 9/11. That moment was voted the #2 moment in the history of Shea Stadium (#1 was game 6 of the 1986 WS where the Mets won on the Buckner error). For me, however, that is my favorite memory. Only in retrospect do I realize how much my life was changed by 9/11 even though I was 3000 miles away. I was stuck on base when Camp Pendelton was put on high alert, and we were all ready to ship out at a moments notice. All of us were still reeling from what had happened. It seemed like, even in California, that the nation had come to a grinding halt, and everything that we thought we knew seemed foreign. Baseball helped to normalize everything again, and when the Mets were set to continue the season against the hated Braves, I was able to put the tragedy in the background for a bit, and ressurect my absolute hatred for the Braves. When the Mets came back with that dramatic Mike Piazza homer, it was pure elation, and just for a moment everything was forgotten. Anyways that’s probably my fondest Mets memory, because I was a bit too young to remember 1986, and because still 9/11 is one of the moments that has so dramatically effected the course of my life.
Update 1:21
Currently still in a rain delay, game time is now set to 2:00 PM EST.
Update 1:58
Here we go, games about to start. I really nervous about this game, and I’m even more worried about how Perez is going to pitch on 3 days rest–especially with CC pitching in Milwaukee. Hope for the best that’s all I can do.
Update 2:03
1-2-3 inning for Ollie, and with only 7 pitches to boot. Like Gary Cohen said “no 7-run inning this time.” Thank God.
Update 2:13
Nothing doing for the Metties that inning, but they did make Olsen work–25 pitches that inning.
Update 2:20
A brief scare when Ollie tried to grab Uggla’s ground ball. He stayed in but his control was terrible afterwards, but he managed to get through the inning. 23 pitches through 2, and no score in Milwaukee yet.
Update 2:31
1-2-3 inning for Olsen. The Cubs scored before the inning was over, however, and the Shea faithful gave a rousing cheer.
Update 2:36
Ralph Kiner has joined Gary, Keith, and Ron in the booth. I love listening to all of Ralph’s stories.
Update 2:42
Another solid inning for Perez. Still 0-0. The Marlins are really into this one; Baker just slammed his bat onto the dirt after striking out. The Mets need to step up and put them away in the next few innings, and not let the Marlins hang around.
Update 2:50
Still no score. Shrek got a lead off base hit, but Ollie’s bunt didn’t advance him to second. With Perez on first Reyes struck out on a nasty change, and Beltran flied out to right. This is getting intense, and the longer the Marlins are in it the more dangerous they are going to get.
Update 2:55
Yet another strong inning for Ollie–51 pitches through 4. Mets need to put something together this inning with Delgado and Wright coming up.
Update 3:00
Wow. Are the Mets even fucking trying. It took Olsen six fucking pitches to get through Delgado, Wright, and Evans. How about working a count fellas? Perez didn’t even have a chance to take a break before the Mets went up there hacking away.
Update 3:07
2 K’s in that inning for Ollie. The duel continues, and hopefully the Mets break through on Olsen in the bottom of this inning.
Update 3:12
Ummm I think this is probably the best game of Olsen’s career. He must really hate the Mets. It looks like he is channeling Santana out there.
Update 3:19
Maybin ripped a double off of Ollie, and after looking terrible trying to bunt, Baker hits a blooper to score Maybin. Fish up 1-0.
Update 3:24
Uggg this inning is getting ugly. 3 straight hits, and finally Perez gets an out–on a Jacobs fly ball to left–and Evans throws to the wrong base allowing both Baker and Cantu to advance. Intentional walk to Uggla loads the bases and Joe Smith in from the black hole that is the Mets bullpen to try and keep the game close. Man oh man oh man.
Update 3:32
Smith walks in a run, and then got Ross to foul out to third. Amezaga hits it back to Smith, and thankfully the Mets are out of the inning. Marlins up 2-0. Mets are still in the game, and need to absolutely need to do something this inning.
Update 3:41
After Cancel worked out a pinch hit walk, Reyes popped out to right, and then Beltran hit a fucking two-run bomb into the bleachers in left field. Clutch super clutch from Beltran who has been phenomenal the last couple months. All tied up, Olsen looks a bit frazzled, and it’s time for the Mets to put up a big inning.
Update 3:47
Olsen got through the inning by striking out Delgado and getting Wright to hit a weak grounder to short. However, the game is all tied up and it is now up to the Mets bullpen to keep the fish at 2.
Update 3:54
Maybin hit a laser off of the left field fence and only gets a single out of it because he was watching the ball and almost missed first base. Stokes has 0-2 count on Baker. They pitch out and still don’t throw out Maybin. Stokes comes back and fans Baker–who looked terrible swinging at the pitch.
Update 4:00
Endy adds to his legend. After Stokes fell behind on Cantu 3-0 he throws a 3-1 pitch that Cantu crushed, and Endy made a spectacular catch in left–not quite as spectacular as 06 though. In other news Cubs still up 1-0 Brewers threatening, however, with men on the corner and JJ Hardy up to bat. BTW Glenn Close is singing “God Bless America” and she has a pretty good voice. Didn’t know that.
Update 4:05
Uggg Wuertz walks in a run Milwaukee has tied it up.
Follow along at the next entry here.
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