Prototypical Baseball Player
My Grandma Weiland (my Dad's mother) died last week. She was my last remaining grandparent, (even though I was lucky enough to have bonus grandparents from my Dad's second marriage) and up until 2000, she probably didn't know what a baseball was.
When it came to America's pastime, my mother's mom, Grandma Kummler, was the authority. She is one of the major culprits for my being a Mets fan, and I watched many games on her plastic-covered couch, sipping on Canada Dry ginger ale and devouring Keebler Magic Middles while Tim McCarver and Fran Healy's play-by-play boomed through the speakers, probably audible three houses down the block. (She was extremely hard of hearing.) However, Grandma K. passed away shortly before the 2000 season, and I lost my baseball fan mentor.
Despite losing one of their most fervent fans (or as I liked to think, because of her Angels in the Outfield-like intervention) the Mets won the Wild Card for the second straight season, and thus began one of the goofiest and glorious postseasons I've ever seen. The start of the playoffs coincided with my parents' choir trip to Europe, and so my Grandma Weiland came to stay with me. I'm not sure if she expected to be watching baseball for two weeks, but damned if she didn't watch some of the most entertaining games the Mets have ever played.
Timo Perez took his first steps toward conquering the world. Quadruple-A All-Stars Benny Agbayani and Jay Payton each played huge roles. John Franco was able to strike out Barry Bonds twice in heart-stopping fashion during the NLDS (one strikeout nailed down the Game 2 win). Agbayani cemented his cult-hero status in New York. Bobby Jones pitched a one-hitter to clinch the NLDS winner, for some reason. In the NLCS, the Mets broke Rick Ankiel's brain. The Mets blew a lead, and were able to bounce back. Mike Piazza let the Monster out of the cage. Mike Hampton, a few months away from bolting for the fine public school system in Colorado, pitched the game of his life, a three-hitting in Game 5, to clinch the World Series appearance.
Grandma Weiland and I watched every game on the road to the World Series together. At first, she seemed to be placating me, but as the postseason went on, she began to actually look forward to the games, and would get surly when I informed her that it was an off day. She loved Agbayani most, and who wouldn't. It's hard not to root for chubby guys who play pivotal roles in crucial games. Timo Perez had just been called up for the first time on September 1, and he perfectly timed his 15 minutes of fame, fueling the Mets so much that FOX made a useless infographic for him during the NLCS, detailing his every step to the Major Leagues. (He took a PLANE from JAPAN, can you believe this WIZARDRY)
Shortly after the Mets took Game 5 of the NLCS, my parents returned from Europe, and Grandma returned to her home in the Poconos, and, I assumed, her baseball-free routine. As I watched Todd Zeile'shome run double bounce off the top of the fence, and Timo Perez lollygag around the bases to get tagged out at home and Armando Benitez blow the lead in the ninth in Game 1, and Roger Clemens be a colossal prick in Game 2, I stewed. During this improbable postseason run, Grandma had become an ally, sensing when it was appropriate to yell at an umpire, or cheer for a clutch hit. Now I had nobody to vent to.
Shortly after the Game 2 loss, she gave me a call. "What was Clemens doing? I'd like to punch him right in the face!" she said.
I smiled. My work was done.
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I assumed the season was over a few weeks ago, so I don't think I need to comment on the Final Destination-like scenario that led to Jose Reyes' (probably) second stint on the DL this season, and Daniel Murphy's season-ending MCL tear trying to play second base (second in two years). This weekend was doom and gloom from the start, with the confirmation that Ike Davis is out until 2012 and Johan Santana will be shelved again. Oh, if you feel like doing a little bit of legwork, Lucas Duda made about the worst diving attempt on a fly ball to right that I've ever seen on Saturday. Video has to be out there somewhere, and it would make a great addition to Jon Bois' amazing compilation of July's baseball blunders (with the minor inconvenience of it occurring in August). It happened in the top of the fifth, on Alex Gonzalez's double into the gap. Godspeed.
Baseballlllllllllll.
Timo Perez took his first steps toward conquering the world. Quadruple-A All-Stars Benny Agbayani and Jay Payton each played huge roles. John Franco was able to strike out Barry Bonds twice in heart-stopping fashion during the NLDS (one strikeout nailed down the Game 2 win). Agbayani cemented his cult-hero status in New York. Bobby Jones pitched a one-hitter to clinch the NLDS winner, for some reason. In the NLCS, the Mets broke Rick Ankiel's brain. The Mets blew a lead, and were able to bounce back. Mike Piazza let the Monster out of the cage. Mike Hampton, a few months away from bolting for the fine public school system in Colorado, pitched the game of his life, a three-hitting in Game 5, to clinch the World Series appearance.
Grandma Weiland and I watched every game on the road to the World Series together. At first, she seemed to be placating me, but as the postseason went on, she began to actually look forward to the games, and would get surly when I informed her that it was an off day. She loved Agbayani most, and who wouldn't. It's hard not to root for chubby guys who play pivotal roles in crucial games. Timo Perez had just been called up for the first time on September 1, and he perfectly timed his 15 minutes of fame, fueling the Mets so much that FOX made a useless infographic for him during the NLCS, detailing his every step to the Major Leagues. (He took a PLANE from JAPAN, can you believe this WIZARDRY)
Shortly after the Mets took Game 5 of the NLCS, my parents returned from Europe, and Grandma returned to her home in the Poconos, and, I assumed, her baseball-free routine. As I watched Todd Zeile's
Shortly after the Game 2 loss, she gave me a call. "What was Clemens doing? I'd like to punch him right in the face!" she said.
I smiled. My work was done.
_________________________________________________________________________
I assumed the season was over a few weeks ago, so I don't think I need to comment on the Final Destination-like scenario that led to Jose Reyes' (probably) second stint on the DL this season, and Daniel Murphy's season-ending MCL tear trying to play second base (second in two years). This weekend was doom and gloom from the start, with the confirmation that Ike Davis is out until 2012 and Johan Santana will be shelved again. Oh, if you feel like doing a little bit of legwork, Lucas Duda made about the worst diving attempt on a fly ball to right that I've ever seen on Saturday. Video has to be out there somewhere, and it would make a great addition to Jon Bois' amazing compilation of July's baseball blunders (with the minor inconvenience of it occurring in August). It happened in the top of the fifth, on Alex Gonzalez's double into the gap. Godspeed.
Baseballlllllllllll.
Fierce old baseball ladies are the best. Also, my condolences.
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