Die Hard Mets Fan

Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News looks at the Mets’ comeback against the Reds on ESPN’s First Take.

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I thought the Mets had this game locked early on until the Reds took an 8-6 lead in the Bottom of the 7th. The Mets looked so flat in the 8th so I began to think that the winning streak was coming to an end. Jose Reyes struck out to begin the 9th Inning which wasn’t a good sign. All of a sudden, Argenis Reyes came in and got a pinch hit single. David Wright hit a 2-run dinger that barely made it over the right field wall to tie the game at 8-8. Beltran singled, and then Easley singled so Beltran went first-to-third. Carlos Delgado hit an opposite field RBI single to give the Mets a one-run lead. Fernando Tatis lined a two-out RBI double into the corner in left field to give the Mets a 10-8 lead after the rally came to an end. In the Bottom of the 9th, Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 inning to seal the deal which extended the winning streak to 10 games. The 10-game winning streak tied a club record. Let’s see if the Mets can set a new record tomorrow.

Final: New York Mets 10 - Cincinnati Reds 8.

PS - The Mets are in a 1st Place tie with the Phils. (52-44)

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So I watched the All-Star Game last night. The first time I ever watched one was last year once we created Die Hard Mets Fan. Growing up, I never cared because the game never meant anything. I know that they changed it so the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series, and that decision just pissed me off as a baseball fan. It bothers me because the managers are concerned about playing everyone. It’s a joke, and where the World Series is played shouldn’t depend on a joke.

I just wanted to comment on the Mets who played last night. David Wright ended up going 1-3 with a walk which isn’t bad, and Billy Wagner blew a 3-2 lead in the 8th Inning which resulted in a tie until the AL won 4-3 in the 15th Inning. I heard a lot of people bashing Wagner for not being a big game pitcher, but I wouldn’t consider a game that doesn’t count a ‘big game’. Overall, I thought the starting pitching was great. After that, the game was played very poorly. Dan Uggla of the Marlins went 0-3 and committed 3 Errors which didn’t help the NL at all. I thought the game was very boring.

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This morning, Met great Ed Kranepool joined Joe and Evan of WFAN at the DHL All-Star Fan Fest. To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.

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ESPN talks to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News about the Mets turnaround.

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David Wright didn’t end up winning the NL Final Vote ballot to make the 2008 All-Star Team. Instead, an outfielder named Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers got selected. On Friday, Omar Minaya called Wright multiple times according to Mets.com. David saw four missed calls and two voicemails and thought, “I thought that I was traded.” If there is one Met that I don’t want traded, it’s Wright. The good news is that Omar wanted to let David know that he ended up making the All-Star Team as a replacement to the injured Alfonso Soriano. Wright had this to say about making the All-Star Team…

It seemed like I got quite a few second chances. When you realize that you’re not going to something that you want as badly as I wanted to participate in this All-Star Game, it makes you appreciate a lot more when you get that phone call. To be able to come up through this system, being a Mets fan as a kid, and to participate in the closing down of Yankee Stadium at the last All-Star Game, it makes it extremely special. It’s something that I wanted pretty badly. It’s been an up-and-down week. It’s been great for the way the team’s been playing, so I didn’t really have anything to complain about. But after the vote, I was obviously somewhat disappointed. Glad I didn’t make any plans.

Congrats to David. It’s too bad he didn’t make the team originally, but he’s right in saying that it seemed like he kept getting second chances.

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This morning, Omar Minaya joined Boomer and Carton of WFAN to talk about the outfield situation, Jose Reyes slamming down his glove, and whether or not the Mets are in the trade market. To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.

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Ryan Church came back to New York yesterday and underwent neurological tests today in Manhattan. The Star-Ledger reported that the “MRI Ryan Church had on his head and neck were negative.” The Mets said his status is still day-to-day. This is good news because not all of us believed him when he said that he sat out of the game due to migraines. Church insisted that he has been suffering from migraines for a lifetime.

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Well folks, MLB.com released the roster for the 2008 All-Star Game. Unfortunately, Billy Wagner is going to be the only player representing the Mets. It’s the sixth time that Wagner has made the All-Star team so hats off to him. There is some hope that another Met can make the All-Star team, but he needs your help. Mets.com pointed out that there is one final spot on the roster so the fans can vote for one of five players on the NL Final Vote ballot. The five players are: Mets third baseman David Wright, Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell, Astros left fielder Carlos Lee, Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand, and Brewers right fielder Corey Hart. I already voted for David. If you didn’t vote for Wright yet and you want him to represent the Mets then go to MLB.com to vote for him.

American League

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Joe Mauer, MIN	L/R
1B	Kevin Youkilis, BOS	R/R
2B	Dustin Pedroia, BOS	R/R
SS	Derek Jeter, NYY	R/R
3B	Alex Rodriguez, NYY	R/R
OF	Josh Hamilton, TEX	L/L
OF	Manny Ramirez, BOS	R/R
OF	Ichiro Suzuki, SEA	L/R
DH	David Ortiz, BOSº	L/L

Pos	Player	B/T
P	Justin Duchscherer, OAK	R/R
P	Roy Halladay, TOR	R/R
P	Scott Kazmir, TB	L/L
P	Cliff Lee, CLE	L/L
P	Joe Nathan, MIN	R/R
P	Jonathan Papelbon, BOS	R/R
P	Mariano Rivera, NYY	R/R
P	Francisco Rodriguez, LAA	R/R
P	Ervin Santana, LAA	R/R
P	Joe Saunders, LAA	L/L
P	George Sherrill, BAL	L/L
P	Joakim Soria, KC	R/R

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Dioner Navarro, TB	S/R
C	Jason Varitek, BOS	S/R
1B	Justin Morneau, MIN	L/R
2B	Ian Kinsler, TEX	R/R
SS	Michael Young, TEX	S/R
3B	Joe Crede, CWS	R/R
3B	Carlos Guillen, DET	S/R
OF	J.D. Drew, BOS	L/R
OF	Carlos Quentin, CWS	R/R
OF	Grady Sizemore, CLE	L/L
DH	Milton Bradley, TEX	S/R

National League

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Geovany Soto, CHC	S/R
1B	Lance Berkman, HOU	S/L
2B	Chase Utley, PHI	L/R
SS	Hanley Ramirez, FLA	R/R
3B	Chipper Jones, ATL	S/R
OF	Ryan Braun, MIL	R/R
OF	Kosuke Fukudome, CHC	L/R
OF	Alfonso Soriano, CHC	R/R

Pos	Player	B/T
P	Aaron Cook, COL	R/R
P	Ryan Dempster, CHC	R/R
P	Dan Haren, ARI	R/R
P	Brad Lidge, PHI	R/R
P	Tim Lincecum, SF	L/R
P	Ben Sheets, MIL	R/R
P	Edinson Volquez, CIN	R/R
P	Billy Wagner, NYM	L/L
P	Brandon Webb, ARI	R/R
P	Brian Wilson, SF	R/R
P	Kerry Wood, CHC	L/L
P	Carlos Zambrano, CHC	S/R

Pos	Player	B/T
C	Russell Martin, LA	R/R
C	Brian McCann, ATL	L/R
1B	Adrian Gonzalez, SD	L/L
1B	Albert Pujols, STL	R/R
2B	Dan Uggla, FLA	R/R
3B	Aramis Ramirez, CHC	R/R
SS	Cristian Guzman, WAS	S/R
SS	Miguel Tejada, HOU	R/R
OF	Matt Holliday, COL	R/R
OF	Ryan Ludwick, STL	R/L
OF	Nate McLouth, PIT	L/R

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In this week’s ‘25 BEST MOMENTS AT SHEA’, Brian Costello of the New York Post lets us know what No. 12 is…

SHEA STADIUM

June 21, 1964

Shea Stadium was two months old when it played host to its first truly historic moment. The Phillies’ Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game on Father’s Day, the first perfect game in the National League in 84 years.

It was the first game of a doubleheader and Philadelphia would win 6-0, but all anyone talked about was the pitching performance from the lanky right-hander.

The 32,904 fans at the game became Bunning fans in the final inning as he became the eighth man in the history of Major League Baseball to achieve perfection. He also became the first pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in both leagues. He had no-hit the Red Sox in 1958 as a member of the Tigers. That day he walked two and hit one.

Against the Mets New York Mets , he was flawless. It took him only 90 pitches and the 32-year-old struck out Mets rookie John Stephenson to complete his 27 up, 27 down masterpiece. The fans gave him a long standing ovation.

Bunning was the first NL pitcher since John Ward to pitch a perfect game. Ward did it for Providence on June 17, 1880.

The Tigers traded Bunning the winter before to Philadelphia. He would play a role in Philly’s pennant chase that season. He struck out 10 Mets with a baffling curveball and a slider he mixed in.

Just three Mets even came close to getting a hit. Jesse Gonder hit a hard shot between first and second that second baseman Tony Taylor knocked down, then threw to first for the out. In the third inning, Amado Samuel lined a ball over the head of shortstop Cookie Rojas, but Rojas made a leaping grab.

Ron Hunt came close to ending the perfection in the fourth with a pop fly along the right-field line that was out of the reach of outfielder Johnny Callison. The ball fell just a few feet foul, though, and Bunning then struck Hunt out.

Bunning would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996 and is now a Senator from Kentucky.

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