My Goodbye

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's read and kept up with my journey of recapping my final 15 trips to Shea. It ended in such disappointing fashion. This team has always been notorious for testing their fans' loyalty. One thing is for certain though. We're not going anywhere, for better or worse. I understand it's been for worse of late. But that's life. There are no guarantees. Let's see how many cliches I can throw in here. You can't always get what you want.

Seriously, if you could get beyond the wins and losses for a few moments, and just ponder why you care so much in the first place... Why does this team affect your moods? It's a love. That's why. It's more than just hits and runs and it goes deeper than watching a solid bullpen (although it would be nice to see one of those again someday). It's about the memories that you have that probably stems from childhood.

I think non sports fans can understand why we get so emotionally attached if they understand how it's a passion. It's that simple and complicated.

Believe me, no one wants to see this team win more than me. But right now, I'm thinking about Shea. I'm not focusing on the 40 man roster that couldn't get the job done in the final month again. I've done that enough on this site. I'm thinking about the demolition of a second home to many, including myself. The sadness burns because I don't know what the future holds. Will my friends, family and I be able to get into a ballpark that has shaved 10,000 seats off its capacity? I sure hope so, but you just never know.

I'm just glad that I cherished and embraced each moment I spent in that so-called dump. I loved going there with my parents, with my best friend, with my brother, my girlfriends, my dates that sometimes ended terribly, with acquaintances, and with myself. I loved waiting on that stupid long line for tickets and being welcomed by a subpar promotion giveaway and walking towards those tall escalators. And walking through the always congested, thin concourses with the walls painted red, indicating you are as high as the airplanes that fly by seemingly ever other minute. You get used to that over time. This year was a dream come true because I was able to attend more games than ever. That dream ended terribly that Sunday afternoon.

These next 6 months, I'm going to painfully miss going to these games, keeping scorecards which I just got into this past JULY, etc. I mourn because I understand that it may never be the same again. I'm cautiously excited about the new park and my adulthood. But whether I like it or not, I realize that change has arrived.

I leave you with a video that I put together. The videos are crappy quality, the vantage point way too far. But it's all from my two eyes and I found it to be touching. Thanks again. Have a great fall and winter.



Jaime
THE FINAL 15

1

September 28th, 2008
Marlins- 4
Mets- 2



Everything came down to this Sunday afternoon. Win and play game 163 and possibly more. Lose and watch our final game ever at Shea and let another golden opportunity go to waste. We knew Sabathia, who seemed to pitch everyday down the stretch, wasn't going to lose that game.

I've seen big games at Shea, but none that I was more nervous to watch. I knew how much this game meant to the franchise and losing it would be disastrous.

These tickets were very difficult to acquire. All season, I hit myself for not pulling the trigger on purchasing the shea goodbye pack which included this game. I waited too long, hoping a better deal would come along. I was looking at being forced to buy tickets on stubhub well above face value. But I kept trying the mets site after constant checking, they released a few scattered seats to the public. I nabbed two for face value, and away we go. There was an empty seat next to my friend so I just sat there most of the game.

The weather was pretty brutal. Or at least it started that way. The rainfall kept getting heavier and heavier. We got there real early (like 12:15) picked up the tickets, received our final promotion (ticket and lanyard). I've never seen the game so packed so early. It was weird, but exciting. Everyone was in the concourse areas to protect themselves from the rain. People were chanting Let's Go Mets. We tried to find things to do before the game, but it is Shea. There's nothing but the game. We waited on line seemingly forever to get inside the team store but got impatient and left. Then we had the final Shea meal. We called it the last supper. What was it? Two hot dogs of course. It wasn't very hot. So my final dog at Shea was sort of cold. Fitting.

They delayed the game until 2 which gave us more time to think and walk around. We tried to get a picture of the spot Tommie Agie hit his monster home run. Apparently everyone else had that idea. When we arrived at the spot, the line was huge. Kept going and going...So we just found our seats and waited it out.

Marc Anthony sang the National Anthem. I felt bad that my mom, an avid fan, wasn't there to hear it. The place really was sold out this time around. No empty seats whatsoever. Yes!

Now to the game. It was imperative that Ollie, which the crowd really got behind early and often, blow away the fish in the first. That means no runs, no momentum, no anything.

We were pleased to find out that Hanley wasn't going to play but were still cautious.
Maybin took his spot and Matt had told me he was on a tear. Great.

But Ollie did just what the doctor ordered. He retired the side in order. Last year, uring the same situation, Glavine couldn't get one out because he lost the feel of his changeup. SO we all felt this year, this game would be different. We had a pitcher that was getting people out.

However, some things never change. The offense, as it had all weekend, struggled mightily to get anything done off Scott Olsen, who we've hit very well the last three outings against him. We went down quickly that inning and many of the innings to come.

The 6th inning is when all the offensive action started. Chicago had a 1 0 lead and it even looked for a few moments that the Mets could clinch a playoff spot that afternoon. What a day that could be, we thought. To celebrate the wild card birth along with old Mets greats. It could've been amazing.

But Oliver got in trouble. Mayben led off with a double. Never a good sign. Then Baker hits a single and drives in a run. Then Cantu hits a single. After BOTH runners advanced on a fly out to Evans, Jerry had Ollie intentionally walk Uggla to load the bases. I can't explain to you how much I loathe that play. I hate, hate, hate it. Why Jerry? And to put in the bullpen after that? He's been a great manager all year and it's not his fault the pen is trash but I really disagreed with this play, not just in hindsight either. So Joe Smith, the best reliever in the bullpen (although that title doesn't say much.) comes in and walks Josh Willingham! A run comes in! SHIT! 2-0 Marlins. Luckily, Joe got out of the jam and got two outs we so desperately needed. It could've been worse but with the way our offense was going, it didn't seem good enough.

But the Mets showed one final sign of life. Robinson Cancel drew a walk and with two out, Beltran came up clutch and hit the home run Mets fans have been dying to see hit hit. It was hit in the picnic area and tied the game at 2 and our confidence was finally restored.

Unfortunately that would be the final Mets home run (and run) at Shea.



In the 8th, Schowenweis replaced Stokes and I don't even need to finish this thought for you to know what's going to happen. He gave up a solo home run to Wes Helms, about the second pitch of his outing. Ughhh! 3-2. It's amazing how a guy can get paid so much for not only doing his job so poorly but doing so little. Most people work over 40 hours a week. Showenweis? 5 minutes. Here's your millions.

That was the beginning of the end. Of course, the bullpen had to do even more to put this game away. Ayala came in and gave up a bomb to Dan Uggla (the last homer at Shea)
4-2 Marlins

The Mets gave us two more glimmers of hope after that. In the bottom of the 8th, with two outs, Reyes hita ground rule double. Bad luck because he could've easily gone to third. Beltran then walked. Arthur Rhodes, the lefty, was put in the game to face Delgado. He hit the ball very well to left. I thought for a split second that Deli had come through again. THe crowd would go nuts and we'd regain the lead. My heart rose up to my throat, but it wasn't hit well enough. When the left fielder caught it, I threw up the heart.

Around this time, we found out the Brewers took the lead, like 3 or 4-1. So we had just 3 outs to come back and try to live another day.

But it wasn't meant to be. In the 9th, Lindstrom, former Met retired the first two batters. Easley then walked with two outs. Flashes went off all over the place as everyone wanted to capture the very last play at Shea. It would be off the bat at Church, who seemed to hit it hard. It looked again for split second that we had gone deep. But after the outfielder made the play, it was all over. Just like that. 162 games. All that time and energy and emotion placed in this team...Gone.

And every fan was expected to put on a happy face for the post game ceremony. Only as a Mets fan...

Words cannot express how surreal a feeling it was knowing that this was going to be it. After that evening, they were going to take this thing apart, slowly, piece by piece. There would be no more Mets baseball in 2008. Our worst nightmares came true. Groundhog Day...
I cried after that game and during the ceremony. I've never shed tears at Shea before that. I guess there's a first and last time for everything. I don't know what hurt more, the bitter end of the season or the end of an era at Shea. I believe it was all of the above. I was overwhelmed.

The actua ceremony was beautifully done, much to my surprise. Seeing my favorite Mets from the 90s was a thrill, especially guys like Piazza, Ventura, and Alfonzo. It didn't take the sting away, but it was very therapeutic. It helped me come to terms with the stadium closing down. Here are some vids/pictures.




























What can you say? Changes needs to be made. I'm sure there will be. We'll have months to discuss that though. Right now, the pain and anguish is fresh in the brain. I don't know what else to say for now. I'm sure my wrap up will attempt to add some closure...

2

September 27th, 2008
Marlins- 0
Mets- 2



JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN! JO-HAN!

This game was all Johan. It was probably the greatest pitching performance I've ever seen live by a Met, right up there with last year's 1 hitter by John Maine, which had some stark similarities in regards to the positioning, timing and emotions. The team was dead and Johan was asked to put his money where his mouth was and did so in a huge way. He proved his worth and then some. Santana deserves the Cy Young. I don't want to hear Webb and his 3.33 ERA or whatever it is or Sabathia who pitched half a season in the NL. No. He deserved better from the bullpen and shouldn't be penalized due to the likes of Schowenweis, Heilman, Sanchez, even Wagner.

The weather was relatively shitty. It looked like rain was coming the whole morning/afternoon. Luckily for us, it held off. Matt and I went into the game confident. We heard Johan was going on short rest as this game was categorized as a must win. It sounded desperate but that's what the times called for. We were certain that the Brews would at least lose one of the next two games. We just needed them to lose that Saturday afternoon.

The place was pretty electric. Of course there were some empty seats and you want it to be as packed as possible, but the excitement was definitely there.

Besides giving up a single in the first, Johan coasted through the inning. So we're feeling good about the game at this point from a pitching standpoint. Offensively, it was a different story.

In the bottom of the first, the Mets hit Nolasco. Reyes hit a lead off single and stole his 56th base. Then Beltran singled yet it only advanced Jose to 3rd. Delgado got a productive fly out which scored Reyes. 1-0! They should've scored more than inning, especially since Wright also singled. But back to back outs by Murphy and Martinez ended any hopes of a huge inning.

Luckily, that 1 measly run was all that Santana needed. The Marlins would only muster up two more hits after the first. The Mets, only 3.

Ramon Martinez drove in the second and final run of the game with a 1 out double that drove in Murphy, another huge hit by him. Unbelievable that a guy that no one thought of for the majority of the season contributed big hits down the stretch. 2-0. And that was the final score.

We were really disappointed with the offense, as stated earlier. I mean they scored 1 run the previous night. 3 runs in two games doesn't really cut it. I could understand if we were facing Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux in the mid 90's. These are the Marlins. They have talented, young pitching but come on. This is supposed to be a prolific offense. The lineup is filled with stars. Too many missed opportunities. Not enough small ball. Bad execution. And Johan can't pitch everyday, although cloning might be a great alternative.

Here's the line of Santana. I don't need to elaborate more than I already have.
Santana- 9.0 IP/ 3H/ 0R/ 3BB/ 9K

Wow. Thank you. With the crowd chanting Jo-han during the final outs, and seeing the Cubs jump to an early 2-0 lead against the Brewers, (it started at 4PM) the crowd was rejuvenated. Hope was restored. We were ready for a chance on Sunday to play past the regular season schedule. It was so stressful, that ride home on the 7 train wondering if Chicago maintained their lead. We ran into the guy who's famous for catching well over 3,000 foul/home run balls. He kept us updated on his iphone.

Long story short, Cubs win a nail biter. Like last year, it would all come down to one final game against the same team that loves to kill us. I got no sleep that night. I had dreams and nightmares about what could happen the next day. What Perez would we get since he's on short rest? Will we hit Scott Olsen like we have all year?

My Shea Memories: This one is the most exciting baseball game I've ever seen. Mets vs. Giants- Game 3 2000 NLDS. Wow. My father and I scored back row tickets in the loge section. I don't need to explain to the Met fans how difficult those seats are. Last row. There's a lot of maneuvering involved to see fly balls. Man. That game lasted 13 grueling innings. IT was the series. It was tied at 1 and the winner of that game was going to win the series. In the bottom of the 8th, down 2-1 (Rick Reed pitched a solid game) the Mets scored a run off Rob Nen, their 'unhittable' closer thanks to Timo Perez and Edgardo Alfonzo, wto very clutch hitters that postseason. The game kept going and going. The frustration grew on him. I was 16 and was going insane, hitting my hat against the pole after missed scoring opportnities. Then in the 13, Benny Agbayani hit a walk off home run to left field, right over Bonds. How sweet it was. The place went ape shit. It was incredible. You often hear that during a huge game, you could feel Shea shake and move. This was one of those instances. I feared the place would collapse. The Mets won the following game thanks to a Bobby Jones masterpiece. They had defeated a 100+ win team and advanced to the Championship Series. But it was all because of this game, that they won their first pennant since 1986.

3

September 26, 2008
Marlins- 6
Mets- 1



This game was pretty much a disaster. It actually reminded me a little of the final game of the 2007 regular season. The Marlins jumped to an early lead (granted not the abomination that was Glavine's outing) and the Mets just looked absolutely lethargic at the plate. How deflating a loss was this game when a night before, we won this nail biter and showed great resiliency! I don't know. This is the final weekend of the season. You're tied for a playoff spot! Let's go!

I got a great deal at stubhub this time around. 56 dollar Mezzanine box tickets for just 20, which was the same price at Upper Reserved seats. Nice. I had to print them out and of course I don't prefer to do that, but whatever.



I got to the game a little late, but it wasn't my fault. I was actually there on time but my friend, who I had to wait for was tardy. You know who you are, and you cost me the promotion of the night, which was actually one of the cooler items. It was pennant night, which featured photos of some of the best Shea moments. It was a little small, but still nice.

So I will admit that I missed the top of the first. You can imagine the feeling I received when saw the 2-0 score. I haven't sat down. The Mets aren't up and here we go.

Pelfrey started the game and although he was one of our best starters for the better part of the season, I didn't trust this matchup. I don't have the stats in front of me, but he hadn't fared well against the fish all year. That stupid, pesky team hits him well. Ramirez and Baker each hit singles followed by a Cantu double.

I feel the turning point came as early as the bottom of the first. With one out, after back to back singles by Murphy and Wright, Delgado struck out. Then Beltran walks. Then Church flies out to center, once again being unproductive. This became a trend of an inability to score any runs.

Pelfrey held the team scoreless until the 6th when Willingham hit a solo homer to left, which I could have sworn went foul. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. Pretty soon, I'll start seeing David Wright holding up the World Series trophy. I'm becoming delusional over this team.

The Mets got one back in the bottom of the inning. Church led off with a walk. Then the emerging Ramon Martinez hit a double. He's the most clutch guy on the damn team. A run scored on a Schieder FC. Then Jerry puts in Marlon Anderson who hadn't hit a lick all season long. He struck out. Inning over. Parnell, Feliciano, and Heilman all chip in to give up 2 runs in the 7th. You should have heard the boos for Aaron after he walked in a run. I haven't heard such loud boos since the John Rocker days.

Stokes gave up an RBI single to Hanley in the 8th, who reached base four times that game. And that was the game.

To make matters worse, the Brewers and Phillies each had big leads, which meant our playoff hopes were again in serious jeopardy since, for the second straight year going into the second to last game, the Mets didn't control their own destiny after giving up chance after chance after chance. So sickening.

I just sat there for a few moments, knowing very well that my time at Shea was dwindling at a rapid pace. Lots of fans just stayed to take pictures since it was going to be their last chance to say goodbye to their stadium. It was sad. It finally started to hit me that it was going to be over very soon. I held back the tears...

I took a few pictures of my own. The ceiling of the dugouts were re-painted and it read SHEA GOODBYE in cursive.






My Shea Memories: This loss made me realize how special a moment that 2006 clinching game truly was. I remember the fans actually rooting for the Mets to lose in Pittsburgh and get swept so they could see the team celebrate live and in person. After class, I bought Matt and I two tickets in Mezzanine. He did the same thing at the same time and bought 3 tickets, but in Upper. So we had extra seats that a bunch of people couldn't go to. I can't imagine what else they'd rather be doing. Anyway, the crowd was pumped and the game day ticket sales were through the roof. There were two unlikely heroes in the game. Jose Valentin (who had an EXCELLENT year, much like Tatis did this year) and Steve Trachsel who was pretty solid. We get to the final out, which was a fly out caught by Cliff Floyd. Game over! Mets THE TEAM THE TEAM THE 2006 NL EAST DIVISION CHAMPS'
was displayed on the scoreboards. Matt and I hugged as its a moment we thought we'd never see, with Atlanta dominating for so long. It was truly a magical moment, even though we were so good that year and clinching was inevitable. We even had bough champagne four days earlier in preparation to celebrate back then. But it worked out beautifully. They let fans run down to the field level where the players came out to celebrate with us. Lo Duca sprayed fans with a hose. Reyes and Wright were close to us. I remember them taking a fan's sign to hold up. Man...Those were the days. Now I had this: Another loss for an overachieving Marlins team that just loves to beat us. Oh well. That's what makes moments like those special. The rarity of it.

4

September 25, 2008
Cubs- 6
Mets- 7



This is why we love sports. Because it's a safe version of life, meaning that it's unpredictable. It's dramatic. It's euphoric. It's agony.

As bad a loss we witnessed the previous day, that's how good this win felt. I went into that game with zero confidence. Pedro Martinez was pitching that night and I never thought I'd witness the day where I would dread a start that he made. But that's exactly what happened. We were facing Rich Harden, a guy who's ERA was in the 2's. I was in a really foul mood on my way to the game. At this point, the monotony of the commute to Shea really irritated me. I was sick of trying to squeeze into an overcrowded 7 express. I was tired of the terrible rainy weather we were getting. I was sick of the city and the thousands of people. To make matters worse, prior to the trip I printed out four tickets to NLCS game that I was pretty sure we weren't going to play

Luckily, the line for tickets wasn't long at all. The weather did help in that regard. I ended up sitting in section 2 again with a friend. And away we go. Please don't blow it Pedro. We want to love you so much.



Pedro always gives up first inning runs, so I knew we would be behind shortly after my ass hit the seat. At the end of the top of the 1st, it was 2-0 Cubs partly due to a Micah Hoffpauir solo home run. Never heard of this guy? Well by the time this game was over, we did.

Mets got a run back in the bottom of the frame. Reyes reached on a fielding error and stole 2nd base. Then reached to third on a FC by Murphy. David Wright then drove him in on a sac fly. My friend must've said a million times, 'why couldn't you do that last night?" it was actually an excellent question. But this inning just proved how valuable Reyes can be. He single handedly scored that run. All he had to do was get on base. 2-1 Cubs.

In the third, they extended their lead on an RBI double by Hoffpauir. Ay! 3-1.

But the Mets were resilient that night, July-style. They evened the score in the 4th on a 2 rbi double by Church. He finally woke up! Yes!

Pedro settled down and threw a season high 9 strikeouts. So he sort of came through, until the 7th. Pie led off with a single, then Theriot walked. So Jerry yanked Petey for Rincon, since Martinez struggled with Hoffpauir who was due up. As Pedro walked to the dugout, he waved to the fans. It was a goodbye, since that was definitely the last regular season start and his contract expires by season's end. But the move burned Jerry and the Mets. Second pitch of the at bat, boom! A three run homer by this freaking guy again. WTF! I swear I never heard of this guy and I'm pretty sure the 45000 other fans didn't as well. Meanwhile, he was single handedly killing us, driving in 5 of the 6 Cubs runs. So even though Piniella gave the entire regular lineup a rest, this one man took over the game.

I was so depressed at this point. It was 6-3 in the 7th. I had no faith in us winning that game. None. I'm not afraid to admit that.

The Mets proved they had some guts left. This would actually be the last time the team fought. After this game, the offense disappeard. In the 7th, Robinson Cancel hit a lead off double. He was eventually driven in on a groundout by Reyes. It was a good start but I didn't think much of it at the time. Then in the 8th, with two outs ended up tying the game with singles by Beltran, Church, Martinez, and Cancel. But the way Church scored off the Cancel hit was incredible. He was dead meat at home, with an excellent throw by Fukedome. Church somehow ran around the catcher, avoided the tag, and hit home plate. It seemed like an eternity for that amazing play to unfold. When he was called safe, I went ape shit. Game tied at 6. This was a game we had to win suddenly. ANd they did.

In the 9th, with two outs and Reyes at second (reached on single and stolen base), Carlos Beltran singled on a line drive that was JUST beyond the reach of the first basemen. Reyes scores and the Mets win it! I turned around and took a bow to a couple of Cubs fans sitting a few rows back. This is how crazy I get during these games. 7-6! We're right back in it. The brewers ended up winning in 10 with a Braun grand slam which sucked but fans started to feel confident again. Things felt good. We split the series with the Cubs, stayed tied with the Brewers for the final playoff spot and it was on to the Marlins where we would seek vindication...

My Shea Memories: It's not the best one, but it's sort of relevant because it was against the Cubs. It was opening day, 2003, freezing cold day. I believe it was March 31st, the earliest opening day. My last class that day was early and I met this Mets fan in my class that was also attending the game so I was able to get a ride to the stadium.

Tom Glavine took the mound for the first time in his Mets tenure and absolutely bombed. He got killed. I'm sitting there, freezing my balls off to see errors by Cliff Floyd and meatballs thrown by our newly acquired ace. The final score was like 7-1. Wow. It turned out to be a terrible season so this game was definitely a sign of things to come for not only the 03 season but the entire Art Howe regime.

5

5

September 24, 2008
Cubs- 9
Mets- 6

Ouch! This definitely is going into the top 5 painful/worst loses of the year. I don't know what to say...It's games like this that make me wonder why I decided to write about every September home game. It even makes me wonder why I care so damn much about something I can't control. We had this win in the bag and as my friend said, 'we shit the bed'. This was terrible. What else do I have to say?!

Fine. I'll try. A lot of people went to this game, meaning friends and friends of friends. On our way to the game, Matt told me he felt confident going into this one. Perez made me nervous like he usually does. What made matters worse in my head was that Zambrano was facing our lineup. Even though he

So we all go there in time for first pitch. It was one of our friend's birthday, Sunil. Great place to celebrate your life. His name was even put on the scoreboard in the middle of the game. Yes, I was jealous. The Mets haven't played a home game on my birthday since 2005 and they won't during the 09 season either. Oh well.

Perez looked strong early, but gave up a solo home run to Mark Derosa in the 2nd.
The Mets would come back in a huge way in the third inning. Although Zambrano looked dominated early, getting the first seven batters he faced to record outs. He struggled with his control that inning. Argenis Reyes started it off with a 1 out single. Perez bunts him over to second. With two outs, the Mets ended up scoring 5 runs! It was a freaking miracle. Jose walked, as did Dan Murphy. With the bases loaded, David Wright produced an excellent, patient at bat. He was walked and just like that, the Mets tied it up. Then came Delgado, the best clutch hitter we've seen all season. It was a full count. Delgado hits a blast! It was an opposite field grand slam that just went over the left field wall. We went nuts. There's nothing more exciting in baseball, in my opinion, than to see your team hit a grand slam. What a feeling. Suddenly, it was 5-1 Mets. We thought it was going to be a breeze and we had a laugher on our hands. Oh...how naive.

The fifth inning came. It started so innocently. Soriano struck out, again. But Theriot singled. Then Lee walked. Then Ramirez walked. I thought these guys were supposed to rest for the playoffs! Stop trying so hard. Derosa, who hit the home run earlier, killed us again with a double to left! 2 runs score. Now it's 5-3. All of a sudden, none of us feel safe or confident. Ollie had one of those vintage Ollie innings. It's like everything is going well for the guy then there's one inning, one instance where the bottom falls out! Sound familiar? He sort of represents the team.
So Jerry took him out at this point and puts in Duaner Sanchez, who hasn't been good at all this season. Listen, we'd all love to pretend like he's 2006 Duaner. But he's not! He may never be. If he will, it won't be this year so stop bringing the guy in. What does he do? He gives up a 2 rbi single to Reed Johnson. Game tied! What happened?! One thing I know. There's no way we can lose this game and still expect to play in October. Both teams were quiet offensively until the 7th.

It was a matter of time until the mighty bullpen gave up a run. This time it was Stokes, who gave up a couple of singles and a double to Sori. At the middle of the 8th, it was 6-5 Cubbies.

Of course the Mets offense was no where to be found. Zambrano settled down and the bullpen was effective. I wonder what it feels like to have an effective bullpen. Hmmm...

Delgado hit a lead off double in the 8th. Beltran followed with a singe. Runners at the corners and no outs. No way we mess this one up. But ultimately, it was the Cubs who messed up the inning. We gave them chances to get out of it. Like Church striking out. With Ramon Castro grounding out. Two outs. Then something happened. Piniella, the world's greatest manager decides to intentionally walk Endy Chavez to load the bases. Why he would do that, I don't know. Maybe for a second, he looked like Albert Pujols. Loading the bases intentionally never works anyway. Ramon Martinez then drew a walk! Already better than Castillo The Terrible. But the Mets didn't put the nail in the coffin as Reyes grounded out to 2nd baseman. We were glad it was tied but very well knew this might come back to bite us, especially with our pen.

But Ayala pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning! This could be it, we thought. This has to be ours. Dan Murphy led off the inning with a triple. It was so exciting. The dude just kept running his ass off and was aggressive as a man can be. The slide! All we need was a fly ball or something to that effect and we win a huge game and keep our 1 game lead over the Brewers.

Ughh. Do I have to continue? Can't I just end it here? Afraid not. Because David was up. The count was 3-0 to Wright and he swings and fouls it off. He was obviously pressing. What does he do shortly after that bonehead move?! He strikes out on ball 4. The ball wasn't even close to being a strike! How outside was that pitch! At this point, I knew Murphy wasn't going to score. The Cubs walk Beltran and Delgado intentionally to get to Church who's stunk it up ever since coming back from the DL. He grounded into a force out. Now two are gone and the possibly of a sac fly is gone too. Castro came up and had a horrendous at bat where he looked totally overmatched. K'ed. Inning over. The game was over.

Cubs scored 3 in the 10th because the bullpen couldn't give the team a chance in the 10th with just a 1 run deficit. THINK BIG is the bullpen's motto. And that they did. Ramirez hit a two run homer off Ayala to make it 9-6. There's the ballgame.

As terrible a loss as you can see. It's games like this that make you say, 'I can't do this anymore.' Happy birthday! Unreal.

No scorecards this game and thank God. I seriously wouldn't have been able to physically write down what just transpired in front of me. how I'm doing it now just shows how sick I am. Let's get to Shea Memories.

My Shea Memories: It was June of this year. I went with a friend from school to see the Mets-D'backs game. She's very unique. She's a die hard Diamondbacks fan. I can't explain why and won't try. This one was memorable for three reasons. One was because we had upper reserved seats, as I normally do. But this girl, the daring fanatic that she is, wanted to see batting practice so she could hold up a sign for her favorite player, Mark Reynolds. WE were late for BP but the guy let us in the field level seating anyway to see the field. Game time starts and we sit literally the second row of the visiting dugout. These were the best seats I've ever sat in at Shea. And they weren't even our seats! How fitting. No one came to sit in them, meaning someone out there decided to waste two amazingly expensive ticket. Man, don't you just hate rich people sometimes? This is why! But I was thrilled. I got to see Santana pitch from the closest vantage point a fan can have, besides the bat boy. I will say this. I love the nose bleeds but by sitting this close, you really start to appreciate the game more. You realize how difficult it truly is and how much effort it takes to play a good ball game. You sort of take it for granted.
Second reason it's memorable is because Wagner blew another freaking game! This time a 4-0 going into the 9th. Johan pitched amazing and didn't get the win. Mets ended up losing that one of course. It was probably the game that sealed Willie's fate and everyone at Shea knew that. Third reason is because I was on the kiss cam with my friend. This was not a date mind you. And the girl could care less about me or anyone for that matter who wasn't named Reynolds. I was pretty mortified by those 5 seconds. I always pictured this glorious and special moment if I ever got caught on the kiss cam. I planned act nuts and go crazy. And what happened? A kiss on the cheek by me. Crazy. Shortly after, the girl yelled, "I love you Reynolds!" This was one of probably 20 times I heard that all game. I wish I was kidding. I've had better moments, but it was pretty hilarious.

I have no pictures or videos. Too disgusted. Here's one though from the first game of this series. A "Mets fans' tries to start the wave