As mentioned yesterday, we were out at Citi Field last night. Not a pretty night for the Mets, who lost 5 - 4 and slipped into 4th place in the NL east.
Pat Misch was ineffective at first, allowing three straight hits to start the game. He gave up three runs over the first three innings before settling into a groove.
Our offense never really found a groove until the end of the game. The top of the lineup (Reyes, Pagan, Beltran) went a combined 0 for 12. Jose went 0 for 5 and grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Jose did save a few runs in the field, gunning down a runner from third with one out in the 6th and making a nice relay throw to Thole to end the Marlins at-bat in the 7th.
Loge13 original Ross Jones finally got to view Citi Field last night. Good to catch up with him and to hand with Kingman Senior, Run Hunt and the Ronette. Last I saw Ross Jones, he was staying behind after the game to prowl the stadium. He may be there still.
Ron Hunt took the Wall Street ferry to the game last night and raved about it, even though the only adult beverage served on board is beer. Photos to come.
Meanwhile, Loge13 pal Paul posted this excellent comment that bears re-posting here.
"I went to the game last night also. Saw a great
come-from-behind win with a ten hit attach, caught a tee shirt from the
Pepsi Patrol, while watching my teams "Magic Number" drop to 4.
No, I was not in Queens and $iti Field. I was in Brooklyn where Wally
Backman's team is 20 Games over 500 and heading for the playoffs!
You see by NOT renewing for that "Saturday Plus Plan" and being stuck
with all those tickets to useless games that nobody wants, I using a
fourth of that money to see exciting and hard played baseball.
So do yourself a favor and trade in "Cow-Bell Man" for "King Ralph",
come to Brooklyn and see Baseball Like It Ought To Be !!!"
Thanks Paul. Citi Field was pretty vacant yesterday and it won't be getting better this year or next. The Mets are facing a season-ticket debacle in 2011 if they don't do something smart (which wouldn't be like them).
Pat Misch is 0-2 wbut has pitched well in his two appearances, with just a 3.00 ERA. Marlins rookie Alex Sanabeia is 2 -1 with a 3.77 ERA. He just returned from the minors and pitched well against the Pirates last week.
I went to the game last night also. Saw a great come-from-behind win with a ten hit attach, caught a tee shirt from the Pepsi Patrol, while watching my teams "Magic Number" drop to 4.
No, I was not in Queens and $iti Field. I was in Brooklyn where Wally Backman's team is 20 Games over 500 and heading for the playoffs!
You see by NOT renewing for that "Saturday Plus Plan" and being stuck with all those tickets to useless games that nobody wants, I using a fourth of that money to see exciting and hard played baseball.
So do yourself a favor and trade in "Cow-Bell Man" for "King Ralph", come to Brooklyn and see Baseball Like It Ought To Be !!!
Nice to be back in Loge13 after a brief summer siesta. The Kingman clan went on a few trips over the past two weeks, including an excellent stay in Cooperstown. My nephew played in a little league tournament up there (more on that later).
Plenty of stuff to catch up on. The K-Rod debacle, Castillo's whining. Bye Bye Barajas. I will be out at Citi Field tonight with Kingman Senior, Ron Hunt and Loge13 original Ross Jones! It'll be like old times, except we'll in a completely different stadium looking at a worse team and paying even more ridiculous prices for beer and food.
"Shea Stadium was like home to me. The often used "It's a dump but our
dump" was true. It wasn't fancy. It leaked. It smelled funny and looked
older than its 40 plus years but it was a place I had tons of memories.
Memories with my father, memories of my teenage years and then memories
of my 20s and early 30s. The stadium hosted many dates, many
heartbreaks and many milestone birthdays in my life. It was a place I
could go to for solace and comfort. A place to celebrate my joy and
happiness. A grand dame of ballparks. At least to me.
So the combination of the two left me with a good feeling. The
documentary was well done and a quick 90 minutes."
Well said, sir. You are welcome in Loge13 anytime.
Kingman and the entire Kingman clan are in the midst of a two week vacation. However, I had to break Internet silence today. Not because of K-Rod and his family room fisticuffs. Not because of Castillo and his deluded demands to be traded. And not because of David Wright and his cinderblock glove.
No, all these transgressions are just transitory pockmarks in the history of the Mets.
But August 15th is a landmark day worth commemorating. Because today is the 45th anniversary of The Beatles first gig at Shea Stadium.
The show was a watershed moment. No rock band...heck, no music act...had ever played for 56,000 fans at once. There have been thousands of stadium gigs since then but Shea Stadium hosted the first one. And Shea continued to be THE rock and roll hall of fame and the only stadium to ever host The royal trio of rock - The Beatles, The Stones and The Who.
For more on The Beatles first gig, read on here. For more on Shea Stadium's rock and roll history, read our Shea Rocks section.
And to relive that amazing night 45 years ago, check out the footage below. This gig was before my time but the music is still timeless. And the shots of Shea Stadium in this clip are almost as exciting as the performance clips:
i knew i could count on you to remind everyone of this. if they go into a rain delay, i'll try to find the Shea concert in the Beatles Anthology DVDs for my own entertainment.
I was at Citi Field Saturday night for “Billy Joel: The Last Play at Shea.” It had lots of great historical footage of his career, as well as Mets and Jets action at Shea, including the championship celebrations, Game 6, the relief activities in the aftermath of 9/11, the first game back vs the Braves and Piazza’s big home run, the Pope’s appearance in ’79, the Beatles and othe concerts, the final game, a feature on Pete Flynn, and, of course, Billy’s final concert, complete with guest appearances by Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, and others. Also, great commentary by Seaver, Piazza, and others. Great show!
Of all the posts I have written about Shea Stadium, the Mets, ex-Mets and our beloved section Loge13, the topic that resonated the most with readers was about an event that happened forty years ago today: the Shea Stadium Festival for Peace.
Very little was written about this concert, organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first use of a nuclear weapon in war. No movie was ever made of this gig, which starred the giant acts of the day, including CCR, Paul Simon, Poco and one Janis Joplin, in one of her last performances.
In fact, I think I've written more about the Shea Stadium festival for peace than anyone else online. Dozens of attendees to the show have commented on my posts, remembering the day and trying to confirm who was there. There is is still uncertainty as to whether or not Jimi Hendrix did appear (what was in the water that day?).
One thing all agree on - Shea Stadium literally rocked that day. So many people were dancing in the upper level that the stadium was shaking.
Photographer Ken Davidoff was there. Last May, he was kind enough to send me some photos and recollections of the day. It's worth repeating today: I was going to The School Of Visual Arts studying photography,I was
backstage, I had a press pass and had photographed Johnny Winter at the
Palm Beach Pop Festival the year before.
Janis Joplin was in the
corner
of the dressing room all decked out in her feathers, with lots of
bracelets on her arms. I walked up to her and said " Do you want to
smoke a joint" "No thanks, that stuff makes me crazy" and with that she
takes out a brown paper bag with a bottle and takes a swig.
At
that
moment Johnny Winter walks in. He sees Janice and they greet each other
like long lost friends. Johnny grabs the bottle from Janis,and takes a
drink, Janice grabs it back and does the same ,this goes on until it's
finished.
I managed to get off a few frames, also some pics of
Johnny
and Rick Derringer jamming. My site where you can see all of my photos
from that day is www.oldrockphoto.com/shea.html I too have memories of
the stadium tiers bouncing up and down, that concert really rocked the
house.I hope everyone enjoys the photos, Peace, Ken
After the jump, I have posted some samplings of other comments from folks who were there. These have been posted in the past year on Loge13.com:
If not for you, I don't think I would have ever heard of this festival. It sounded like a helluva show. I like how 3 of the 4 comments you posted were from people 15 years old at the time.
This is the first concert I ever attended and I had not thought about it in many years. Thank you for rekindling the memories. I was 16 and had a great time. I remember the stadium shaking and Janis Joplin appearing at the end. Also - weren't there jets from Laguardia Airport flying over and making a rackett every few minutes?
NEW YORK -- The owners of the New York Mets should be held accountable
for letting their workers put more than $16 million in 401(k) assets
into accounts controlled by jailed financier Bernard Madoff, a widow
said in a lawsuit filed Friday.
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan was brought against
Sterling Equities Associates, which owns the Mets, and also named Fred
Wilpon, the Mets chief executive officer and principle owner.
Sterling Equities and several of its top executives should
have known that Madoff was carrying out a massive Ponzi scheme that cost
thousands of investors billions of dollars, the lawsuit said. Madoff,
72, revealed the fraud in December 2008, pleaded guilty to fraud charges
and is serving a 150-year prison sentence.
Sterling said in a statement Friday that the complaint has no merit,
adding that its 401(k) plan and participants in the plan "were among the
many victims of the Madoff fraud."
Sterling said the 401(k) plan filed a claim for its losses with the
Securities Investors Protection Corp. or SIPC, which is authorized by
Congress to guarantee brokerage accounts for a maximum $500,000, and
assisted 401(k) participants with filing individual claims.
The court-appointed trustee who is recovering Madoff money for
investors has said the Mets profited by nearly $48 million from their
roughly $523 million in investments with Madoff.
The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, said its plaintiff,
Elyse S. Goldweber, was the beneficiary of the 401(k) plan built by her
late husband, David A. Sloss. It said the majority of $280,420 in her
husband's retirement plan was directly invested with Madoff "and has now
been wiped out."
A statement sent March 31 said that she should not rely on the stated
balance in the retirement account "in light of the reported theft by
Madoff," the lawsuit said. The actual account balance cannot be
determined, the lawsuit quoted the statement as saying.
The retirement fund had $16.2 million of its $17.6 million in assets,
or 92 percent, invested with Madoff, the lawsuit said. It did not say
how many employees or former employees were affected.
The lawsuit particularly took aim at statements by Wilpon that he
and his business were not seriously harmed by the Madoff scandal.
"While defendant Wilpon has been quoted as claiming that he and his
business family are `fine,' his loyal employees (many of whom had
previously been laid off) have lost their retirement savings," the
lawsuit said. It added that an insurance policy does not come close to
covering the losses.
"As a result of their massive exposure to Madoff, plaintiff and other
class members have lost the majority of their retirement savings," the
lawsuit said.
Investigators who are still trying to identify and collect Madoff
assets for investors say the financier lost nearly all of the $20
billion invested with him even though he claimed in statements mailed to
4,800 account holders in 2008 that their investments were worth $68
billion.
We moved into Loge13 in 1985. This is how we remember Doc Gooden. Invincible. Nearly flawless every time out. People dancing in the upper deck pasting "K" after "K" to the rafters.
Doc and Darryl were my childhood heroes. We were convinced in later years, we'd look back at them as the Mantle and Whitey of our generation. Heck, the first time I ever went to Cooperstown was Gooden's rookie year, a few weeks after his All-Star game debut. And Gooden was already enshrined, as the youngest pitcher to ever strike out the side in the mid-summer classic.
But we all know what happened. Fast forward 25 years later and the Mets are going to enshrine Strawberry, Gooden and Frank Cashen in the Mets hall of fame this Sunday.
Also, the Mets are signing Doc to a one-day contract this weekend. When it expires, he will retire as a Met. There's a nice interview with Gooden in the Bergen Record. Check it out after the jump...
Loge13's been out of pocket a few days. Had a little car mishap in New Jersey over the weekend, then a little "no Internet" mishap in NYC, thanks to Verizon.
"Last Play At Shea," Billy Joel's documentary about the last shows ever at Shea Stadium will have its premiere at Citi Field August 21th. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Loge13 readers should be very familiar with Shea Stadium's contribution to rock & roll. If not, check out our Shea Rocks section.
I am not the biggest Billy Joel fan but this could be a cool event to go to. It will also be the biggest outdoor movie presentation since 1919. Back then, they called them talkies.
There's nothing more American than being in an Irish bar. Especially when you are watching or talking baseball.
Now Bob Murphy and Tim McCarver will be forever enshrined in beer-stained mahogany on Friday, August 6th. That is when the good people at Foley's Pub will officially induct these Met broadcasters, along with Bill James and (ugh) Brian Cashman, into the Irish American Baseball hall of Fame.
Last year, the Hall created some controversy when it pardoned Walter O'Malley. How can they top that in 2010? Maybe McCarver can heckle the Yankees GM. The ceremony happens at 12:00, August 6th (two weeks from today).
Here is the press release:
Bob Murphy, Tim McCarver, Brian Cashman, Bill James, and Mike "King" Kelly to Be Inducted in Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 6, 2010
Housed in Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant Recognizes Players, Executives, Journalists and Entertainers of Irish Descent
New York, NY (July 1, 2010) - The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (www.irishbaseballhall.com) today announced its inductees for 2010: New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman, veteran TV analyst and former player Tim McCarver, longtime New York Mets announcer Bob Murphy, famed statistician and Boston Red Sox executive Bill James, and Mike "King" Kelly, baseball's first superstar.
The honorees will be inducted on Friday, August 6 at Noon, when their plaques will be unveiled at a ceremony held at Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant ( 18 W. 33rd St. ), which houses the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. Voters include past inductees and a panel of baseball historians.
"This deserving group includes successful executives, a beloved voice of the New York Mets, a four-decade player and Emmy-winning broadcaster, and an early legend that time has nearly forgotten," said Shaun Clancy, president of Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame and owner of Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant, which features one of the country's most extensive public displays of baseball memorabilia.
With a blessing from Cooperstown, Foley's, a popular destination among baseball players, executives, umpires, media and fans, created the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame to recognize players, managers, executives, journalists, and entertainers. Inductees are chosen based on a combination of four factors: impact on the game, popularity on and off the field, contributions to society, and ancestry/connections to the Irish community. The 2010 honorees are:
1. Tim McCarver (Former Player/Broadcaster)
Born in Memphis , TN , Tim McCarver signed with the St. Louis Cardinals right out of Christian Brothers High School and was a two-time All-Star selection (1966, 1967) and World Series champion (1964, 1967). During a career that spanned from 1959 until 1980, McCarver also played for the Phillies, Expos and Red Sox. He was the favorite catcher for two Hall of Fame pitchers: Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton.
After retiring as a player, McCarver became a six-time Emmy-winning broadcaster. He has called games for the Phillies (1980-82), Mets (1983-98), Yankees (1999-2001), and Giants (2002). Beginning with the 1985 Fall Classic, Tim McCarver has provided color commentary for more World Series games on TV than any other announcer in history. He is frequently paired with Joe Buck as the lead team on FOX network broadcasts and also hosts The Tim McCarver Show, a nationally syndicated interview program now in its ninth season.
2. Brian Cashman (Executive)
A native of Rockville Center , NY , Brian Cashman began his career with the New York Yankees as an intern in 1986. He moved up the ranks and eventually succeeded Bob Watson as General Manager in 1998. During Cashman's tenure as GM, the Yankees have won six AL pennants and four World Series championships (1998-2000 and 2009). Brian Cashman graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1985 and The Catholic University of America in 1989. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
3. Bill James (Executive)
Born in Holton , KS , Bill James has authored more than two dozen books on baseball history and statistics. He coined the term "sabermetrics" for his innovative statistical analysis of player performances. James' statistical measures gained widespread acceptance when Oakland A's GM Billy Beane applied sabermetric principles in running his low-budget, small market team (chronicled in Michael Lewis' bestseller Moneyball). In 2003, James became a senior advisor for the Boston Red Sox and is credited with advocating moves such as the team's emphasis on on-base percentage. Bill James is a Viet Nam era veteran, a graduate of the University of Kansas , and was one of TIME magazine's "Time 100" most influential people in 2006. He is proud of his predominantly Irish heritage with grandparents named Burks, Yates, McCool and James.
4. Bob Murphy, (Broadcaster)
A transplanted Oklahoman, Bob Murphy was a TV and radio announcer for the New York Mets from their inception until his retirement in 2003. Beloved for his sunny disposition and "happy recaps" of Mets' victories, he and colleagues Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner described both the ineptitude of the 1962 Amazin's and the ecstasy of the 1969 World Series. From 1978 onward, Murphy served primarily as the Mets' radio voice. He welcomed fans to the team's first game and called the thrilling post-season wins in '69 and '86. Bob Murphy received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame and is a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame. He died of lung cancer in 2004.
5. Mike "King" Kelly (Hall of Famer/Legend)
Widely regarded as the game's first superstar, Mike "King" Kelly was a colorful catcher, outfielder and manager. Born in Troy , NY , to Famine immigrants and raised in Paterson , NJ , Kelly's baseball skill and Irish charm made him one of America 's first sports celebrities. He was the subject of a hit song, Slide Kelly, Slide, and a Vaudeville star. A two-time batting champion and daring base runner, historians credit Kelly with developing the hit-and-run, the hook slide, and the catcher's practice of backing up first base. However, his greatest contribution was the popularity he brought to the game in the 1880s and '90s. He was the first player to sign autographs, the first to publish his autobiography, and his trade from Chicago to Boston for $10,000 was one of the biggest deals in early baseball history (thus solidifying baseball as a business). King Kelly was elected posthumously to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
The game of baseball has long welcomed immigrants from its earliest days, when an estimated 30 percent of players claimed Irish heritage. Many of the game's biggest stars at the turn of the 20th century were Irish immigrants or their descendants, including Michael "King" Kelly, Roger Connor (the home run king before Babe Ruth), Eddie Collins, Big Ed Walsh and NY Giants manager John McGraw. Today, major league teams regularly sign players born in Latin America, Japan , Canada , and elsewhere.
Shaun Clancy, an amateur baseball historian, created the Hall after learning about the rich heritage of Irish Americans in the sport dating from its infancy - a legacy that has been overshadowed in recent years by other ethnicities. He decided to celebrate his roots and those who helped make the game great by creating a shrine to Irish Americans in baseball in 2008.
About The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame
The "Starting Nine" inductees of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (2008) were: legendary owner-manager Connie Mack, sluggers Mark McGwire and Sean "The Mayor" Casey, reliever Tug McGraw, Yankee announcer John Flaherty, sportswriter Jeff Horrigan, NY Mets groundskeeper Pete Flynn, sports columnist/official scorer Red Foley, and Kevin Costner, star of Field of Dreams and Bull Durham.
The 2009 inductees were: Brooklyn and LA Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, sluggers Steve Garvey and Paul O'Neill, veteran umpire Jim Joyce, revered sportscaster Vin Scully, and Ed Lucas, a blind reporter who has covered the Yankees and Mets for more than 40 years.
About Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant
A popular destination among baseball players, executives, umpires, fans, and media Foley's NY Pub & Restaurant is located at 18 W. 33rd St. , across from the Empire State Building . The "Irish Bar with a Baseball Attitude" is adorned with 2,100 autographed baseballs, hundreds of bobbleheads, game-worn jerseys, stadium seats and other artifacts. Foley's is home of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (www.irishbaseballhall.com) and is considered one of the best sports bars in America .
For more information, call (212) 290-0080 or visit www.foleysny.com or www.facebook.com/FoleysNYPub.
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(Editor's Note: Tim McCarver, Brian Cashman, Bill James and several past honorees are expected to attend. Mrs. Joye Murphy will accept on behalf of the late Bob Murphy, and Marty Appel, King Kelly's biographer, will represent the late Hall of Famer.)
Tim Mccarver is the biggest dbag in all of sports. I loved when Dion Sanders dumped a bucket of Gadorade on his head.Dion should get in the NFL and MLB hallof fame just for that. Irish hall of fame? Do you get cornbeef and cabbage with that for $9.99?
There's nothing more American than being in an Irish bar. Especially when you are watching or talking baseball. 
Thanks for the hospitality last night. I did stick around for awhile. The Mets Hall of Fame is very impressive.