November Goes Away

It's the 30th aka the last day of November. Chilly today. Getting dark right about now (4:22pm). And it's like that.

First time in years neither of the boys are involved in basketball. OSSS stopped playing a couple of years ago and YSSS is a frosh in HS, a HS that only has a V & JV team. He tried out, didn't make it. Happens. I am 100% proud of him trying out. As I explained, it just gives you more time to concentrate on baseball (his #1).

So I have time to myself now. I've been going to the gym pretty religiously, at least 3x per week. All told in November I went to gym 14x. Thinking since I have a lot of time now I'll start going 4-5x per week. Make that a goal.

December on horizon. I've typed something 3x and deleted it 3x. I hope it's a good one is all I'll say.

You Have A Happy

Thanksgiving. Out. 

Do NOT Adjust Your Set

A picture of Coach K, taken today. Yes, the pullover is from circa 1990 I think.

A Certain Eye Roller

That's who I dealt with last night. A "man" (term used loosely) that acts like a petulant child and wants his way no matter what, but wont stand up for it either. So he rolls his eyes when he doesn't like what he hears.

I will explain to him when I see him that the next time he rolls his eyes at me, they will keep rolling all the way down his backside. Mary.

November Middle

Here we are in middle of the beginning of the coldness and it hasn't been all that bad. Leaves pretty much gone - and since both boys are HS students, SoulSlam is no longer coaching hoops. So I have some extra time on my hands. Not sure how I feel about that. I am running our travel baseball program now; we have some coaches that think they can do whatever they want so they need a new sheriff in town. That's me apparently.

All My Strength

Not to strangle a number of people.

Sir Spamalot

I really do appreciate all the untold wealth I have coming to me from African nations, but I think I'll take a pass.

The Killer Post

Of the World Series was....TERRY COLLINS!!!

Hold on.
Lets start with Friday night. Mets up 9-3 on Royals after 6. Syndegaard has thrown 104 pitches so it's time to come out. So with a 6 run lead TC goes to Reed in the 7th, Clippard in the 8th, and Familia the Closer in the 9th. AKA THE FORMULA. But why do you need to do this when you have a 6 run lead. And three games in a row...all considered must wins? That's what everyone was thinking.

Saturday we have a close game. Matz throws a nice game...gets into the 6th but gets in trouble, score becomes 3-2 Mets. TC goes to Niese (no outs at this point) and he gets Hosmer and Moustakis OUT! Now we have big Sally P. coming up. Jon Niese is a starter, he can go right!? No. TC takes him out for the fatman (Bartolo Colon) who strikes out SP after a really hard fought battle at plate. So I guess we can say that worked. But guess what. It's FORMULA TIME again. Reed comes on in 7th and gets the 3 outs he needs. Now we go to Clippard. he gets a comebacker from Escobar for first out. Then Zobrist walks. Then Cain walks. Time for TC to call Familia. Who gets Hosmer to hit a ground ball! Not gonna be a DP but we'll get an out and hold runners!!! But no. Daniel Murphy makes an error and Zobrist scores, Cain goes to 3B and we have the corners juiced for Moustakis. Who singles. Another run. Then Perez singles. Another run. Brutal. Lose 5-2.

Sunday is Harvey Day. And he pitched like an ACE. Mets get a HR form Grandy in top 1 and a run in 6th on a SF by Duda to take a 2-0 lead. After 8 innings, Harvey has 9 Ks and about 102 pitches. From our viewpoint we can't see the exchange that happened in dugout where Harvey may or may not have bullied his way out for 9th. In any case, the crowd was calling for him. So he takes the mound. And he walks Cain, who then steals 2B on first pitch. At this point, Harvey should have been relieved. But he was allowed to pitch to Hosmer who took a 2-2 count and drove a laser over Conforto's head in LF. 2-1 Mets and now Familia is called. Familia gets Moustakis to ground out to 1B, but Hosmer goes to 3rd. One out. Now Perez hits a little chopper groundball to left side of IF, David Wright fields ball clean, gives Hosmer a look and throws to 1B for the out. When DW released ball, Hosmer goes home. A good throw from Duda and he's out by 20 feet. But Duda makes a wild throw and Hosmer scores and we are all tied up. Awesome. Now the bullpen hijinx start. Top 10, Familia gets his 3 outs. Top 11, Niese comes on and gets 3 outs. Now keep in mind that Jon Niese is a starting pitcher and probably could have given you 6 innings if you needed it. But top 12 (and I will always dread top 12 from now on) we bring in Addison Reed again. And we paid dearly. Sally P. hits a single and is promptly pinch ran for by Dyson. Who steals 2B. Gordon makes an out and we have Dyson at 3B. Christian Color (WHO?) pinch hits a single and Dyson scores. 302 Royals. But here's what separates men from boys. Next batter is Orlando, the defensive replacement. He hits a ground ball right at Murphy who proceeds to botch the transition and instead of a DP to end the inning and keeps us within one run we extend the inning that then got so out of control I can't go on. The Royals win the series.

So we have errors. And cold bats (except for game 3). And managerial blunders. And you know what?

107 DAYS TO PITCHERS AND CATCHERS! LET'S GO METS.

Over

Not to be.

Breakdown

I'll breakdown Terry Collins' mishandling of the bullpen in the game 4 loss later this week. Right now I'm trying to stay awake and keep a positive spirit. Let's Go Mets.