new-york-mets – Page 3 – Threeunassisted

Mets Vs. Phillies: Siblings on Opposite Ends

It’s a big weekend in my house. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies play one another in a three game set in Philadelphia. However, this won’t be the only time the two play each other this month. Next week, they will be in Queens for four games beginning Thursday. The stakes are high with the Phillies closing in on a division title while the Mets are trying to remain in a Wild Card spot. Perhaps the biggest item over these next three days is that this will affect the mood in my house. Caitlyn (Phillies) and Matthew (Mets) are sure to be honed in on every single pitch and for one of them, going to school on Monday will be quite the chore.

When Harper and Lindor meet, I play Switzerland. Photo from the Philadelphia Inquirer

But first, a quick story as to how Caitlyn became a Phillies fan.

The year was 2016 and the month was also September. The Mets were making a late push to secure a playoff spot. Matthew was already established as a (mostly) maniacal Mets fan. I could remember him watching the first Spring Training game of that year (or 2017) and getting upset that Yoenis Cespedes struck out on three pitches. Anyway, during that September push the Mets played the Phillies a number of times. Philadelphia wasn’t very good that year, finishing with a record of 71-91. The Mets beat them repeatedly, and Matthew was very vocal in his support. Caitlyn, who did not have a team at that point, finally had enough and said, “That’s it, I’m becoming a Phillies fan!” Speculation that it was a phase ended when she saw me looking at baseballreference.com and asked to see the Phillies roster for the following Spring.

Fast forward to today. I am extremely lucky that my three kids get along so well with each other. I could honestly say there has never been an occasion where there has been anger among the three of them. This weekend, Caitlyn and Matthew will not be making fun of one another whenever the Mets or Phillies make a mistake. They will be annoyed with the losing result and thrilled with the winning outcome. But they won’t take it out on each other. Between the two, I would say, Caitlyn will show more emotion and let me tell you, she comes out with some great one liners when she is annoyed. Even when the Phillies are in say, a 20-10 stretch she finds reason to be aggravated. The London series in June provided some great quotes as the Phillies melted their late lead away in the Sunday contest:

“Oh my gosh, this team stinks”.

“At least three players need to be left in London”.

“I would have a better time flushing my money down the toilet than watching Jose Alvarado pitch”.

Of course, the next time they win, all is forgiven.

Me? I remain neutral. I have one wish after this weekend: the result is not a sweep. I want to see happiness for both children. Someone is going to be disappointed at least twice. I would like this series a little bit more if the Mets had a stronger hold on a playoff position. I expect some great baseball from two these long time rivals.

And I hope come Monday morning, Caitlyn and Matthew go off to school without a frown.

Life in the Citi

Man, it feels like forever since I last posted. That’s what happens when other things in life pull you in multiple directions. Work, Lake George, Saratoga and kids’ sports occupy much of my time. However, we did take time out to head to Citi Field for our (potential) last game of the year. On July 11th, the New York Mets went for the sweep against the division rival Washington Nationals. The Mets were rolling at this point, kick started by Grimace and Jose Iglesias’s, “OMG” becoming their vibe for 2024. Would the good times continue?

Section 109 is a great view at Citi Field. Photo from my collection.

The Mets’ David Peterson and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore matched zeros for the first four innings. After Washington was held scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Mets erupted for five runs, highlighted by Brandon Nimo’s three run double. J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso produced RBI singles to give New York their fourth and fifth runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mark Vientos and Harrison Bader drove in Martinez and Alonso to give the Mets a 7-0 lead. Adam Ottavino came on to get the final three outs but this being Ottavino, it came with a lot of drama. He managed to load the bases but preserved the shutout by striking out James Wood and Jesse Winker to end the game. The Mets would then close out the schedule leading up the All Star Break by winning the first two games against the Colorado Rockies before losing the finale on Sunday.

It was a day that saw the excessive humidity finally break in the New York City area. However, we sat in the sun all day and by the end of the game, we were fried. Still, if you head to Citi Field one day, section 109, row 22 is a pretty good area to watch the game. After visiting Citi Field, Citizens Bank Park and Yankee Stadium, the kids still agree: the Bank is the best.

Hats Off to John Pacella

I guarantee that 95% of you that saw this title have no idea who John Pacella is. I can forgive you for that. I’m not sure if even the most hardcore of New York Mets’ fans have heard of John Pacella. He was a pitcher that played in seasons ranging from 1977 to 1986 primarily for the Mets but he also had brief stints with the Yankees, Twins, Orioles and Tigers. He appeared in a grand total of 71 games with a career ERA of 5.74. Yet, he holds a special place in my heart for one, distinguishing characteristic:

The magic of John Pacella. Photo from my personal collection

His cap would fall off after he threw a pitch. I mean every, single pitch.

If you don’t believe me, the back of his 1981 Topps card, pictured above, reads as follows:

“John has unique habit of losing his cap each pitch”.

He appeared in 32 games in 1980 for the Mets. Though I was first six, then seven years old that season, I distinctly remember seeing this during Pacella’s outings. I remember thinking how and why does that happen? I would imitate many things done on the field by Major Leaguers. Losing my batting helmet while running? I couldn’t do it in actual Little League games because of those tight helmets. But it was possible in the backyard with those plastic ones I would win at the fair. Cap falling off while running down a ball? No problem. How cool was that, showing off to everyone how hard you were running and how much you cared? But losing your cap while throwing a pitch? No chance.

These days, many players express themselves after a big play. Usually, it is after a hit or a strikeout. John Pacella, even though it wasn’t a form of self expression, was a man ahead of his time. He was memorable even if the totality of his career was not.

Dwight Gooden, Pitching Coach

It was a special day at Citi Field on April 14th. The New York Mets saluted one of the great pitchers in franchise history, Dwight Gooden. Doctor K, as he is called, had his number 16 retired forever. After well documented substance and other off the field issues, it was a great day in New York to see Gooden, seemingly in great spirits, allowing all of us to reminisce about a period in time in which he owned the Big Apple. Despite a fitting conclusion to Doc’s public baseball life, I can’t help but think he has more to offer.

Dwight Gooden needs to be a pitching coach. Phot from Sports Illustrated.

In my opinion, Dwight Gooden would make a heck of a pitching coach.

I love listening to Gooden talk about pitching. You can tell that he has a reverence for the craft. He has had some tremendous teachers beginning with his father. It is fascinating to hear Gooden talk about his dad drilling him about how to become a pitcher. Mowing down Major League hitters at age 19 takes not only great talent, but a very high acumen. Gooden’s dad had a lot to do with his success in getting to the Majors at a young age but once there, Mel Stottlemyre tutored him on the art of a professional pitcher. Stottlemyre was one of the best pitching coaches of his era, first with the Mets and then with the New York Yankees. With those two great instructors, it’s no wonder Doc enjoyed a great deal of success early in his career. Combine that with his already high pitching brain and you can see why Gooden was the perfect pitcher for five years.

I don’t know what Dwight Gooden’s future holds. I would love to see him back in uniform imparting some knowledge on today’s young pitchers. Most hurlers today are power arms and do not know how to pace themselves. Gooden would be able to teach these youngsters how to throw hard AND throw smart. For Dwight Gooden’s final act, a stint as a Major League pitching coach would be jolt for the game.

Pat Zachry, More Than a Footnote

Pat Zachry died on April 4, another passing of my childhood memories with last month’s departures of Ed Ott and U.L. Washington. Zachry was a member of the New York Mets when I first started watching baseball so I got the opportunity to watch him pitch though I must confess I don’t remember many of his starts. Unfortunately, injuries derailed a career in which he won the 1976 National League Rookie of the Year and a World Series title with the Cincinnati Reds. However, the headlines (at least in New York) announcing the passing of Zachry will have the same message.

Pat Zachry was an All Star in 1978. Photo from my collection

In 1977, Zachry was part of the most controversial trade in Mets’ history. He was one of the four players traded from Cincinnati to New York which saw franchise icon Tom Seaver going west to the Queen City. It’s a trade that stings Mets fans to this day as Seaver is still arguably the greatest player in the club’s history. It’s unfair to Zachry and the other players in the deal to be known for just being “those guys” who did not have Hall of Fame careers like Tom Seaver. Let’s face it, the teams trading the superstar almost never get an equal value on the exchange. That’s just how it is. From Babe Ruth being traded to the New York Yankees to Paul Goldschmidt being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals, the returns are not equal.

Pat Zachry was an All-Star in 1978. He pitched reasonably well during one of the worst periods in Mets history. Injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. Doug Flynn won a Gold Glove in 1980. Steve Henderson finished as the runner up for Rookie of the Year in 1977 and batted .287 during his time in New York. The return on Seaver was probably better than most of these superstar trades. Of course, Zachry being the pitcher coming back in the deal, had enormous shoes to fill in taking on the task of replacing “The Franchise”.

Pat Zachry left us too soon at age 71. May his family be strong during this time of great difficulty and to them, he is more than just a footnote in baseball history.