Meet the Mets

Brendan and Uncle Paul

Brendan attended his first Major League Baseball game on Saturday and watched the Mets lose to the Braves at Shea Stadium. He had absolutely no idea where he was, but it was an important milestone nonetheless.

Non-New Yorkers may not know that it's the last season in the current stadium for both our home town teams. The passing of Yankee Stadium is much more notable, I must say. It's an historic and iconic stadium. Shea on the other hand, looks like it was plunked down by the same pre-fab company that must have designed every other stadium built across the nation in the 60s. Worse than strip malls...

Be that as it may, Terence has now been able to take his son to the same place his own father took him to watch their beloved Mets do their thing. No doubt Grandpa Voltz was enjoying a Schlitz and smiling down.

By the way, although I'm not ignorant in all sports (most of you realize I know a thing or two about football and golf), I think Brendan followed the game as well as I could have. The last time I was at Shea, I was intently watching the field through binoculars when the crowd errupted. I had to ask Terry what happened. He seemed puzzled, "Aren't you watching?" I let him know I had been using the binoculars to follow some napkins that were blowing through the outfield as I tried to figure out how fast they were moving. All the while, I conjured fuzzy memories of high school physics. I remember thinking, "Isn't there some phenomenon that distorts perception of velocity from a distance? What's it called? What's it called? Doppler effect? No, that's sound. What's it called.... Why are people cheering?"

Because Terry will undoubtedly post this in the comments if I don't say it myself, I will also preemptively admit that I kept referring to the catcher as the shortstop. In my defense, there was some logic to the mixup. The catcher stands in front of the backstop. Backstop. Shortstop. Whatever. As long as there is cold beer and mustard for the dogs, I'm happy with just the napkins in the outfield.

(Sorry, H. I know this is a particularly painful post for you to read. On many levels.)

Mickey's got game

Update on the geriatric pitchers.

93 year old Mickey Werner won the day in yesterday's game. These guys are amazing. Take a look at the videos in the attached articles.

Newsday coverage (my only problem with this video is the unfortunate AV synch with "80 years of ball under his belt)

Eyewitness News coverage

That's a lot of innings

I covered a lot of ground this weekend, and even though I slept late, I admit I was really tired today. But then I heard a story on the radio that made me realize I have absolutely no right to feel even the slightest lack of energy. I would be happy to be doing anything at 93, let alone playing softball. I hope they have a lot of cheerleaders at the game tomorrow - these guys deserve them.

Pitchers Ages 93 and 86 Faceoff in Senior Softball League

BALDWIN HARBOR, N.Y. (AP) -- As Yankee fans wonder if Roger Clemens still has what it takes at age 44 -- two pitchers in the Long Island Senior Softball League will be facing off -- 93-year-old Mickey Werner going against 86-year-old Paul Rotter.

The game is at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Baldwin Park in Baldwin Harbor.

Werner, a retired New York City Phys-Ed Teacher, has been playing ball since 1927 --the year Babe Ruth hit 60 homers.

Rotter, a resident of Woodmere, is a retired Special Education Teacher and has been playing ball since 1936 - when Joe DiMaggio was a rookie with the Yankees.

The teams are sponsored by the Bristal Assisted Living Communities and are made up of players at least 68 years of age.

The combined ball-playing experience on the two teams is 2,880 years, according to a spokesman for the teams.

Link to the article

Lids and loyalty

Some of you may know, there was a big foofarah over the fact that Tom Brady was seen strolling yesterday hand in hand with girlfriend Giselle Bundchen while wearing a Yankees baseball hat. This is a big no no for the QB of the New England Patriots. Fans are passionate about the Boston-New York rivalry, and this brew-ha-ha had interesting timing with a recent Traynor event.

My brother, Brendan, is a Yankees fan. All his friends from college are Boston fans. When these teams go head to head, it's all night calls and text messages between them all. The ribbing doesn't end.

Last Saturday my brothers' high-school friend, JP, called my brother to say he was going to that night's Boston/Yankees game in the Bronx. Brendan joked around and told JP to make a sign for him.

Shortly after the game started, Brendan called me cracking up and tells me to put on the game. Sure enough, there is JP - in the second row right behind and to the right of home plate holding a cardboard sign saying "I [heart] Pie [the mathematical sign] Traynor." Pie is my brother's nick name. Obviously, the college crew from Boston all got calls as well.

JP was on camera every time they showed someone at bat - and he held up that sign for every single play. Hilarious.

As for Tom, I think folks should worry less about his hat and more about the fact that another woman is about to have his baby (ex girlfriend Bridget Moynahan is due at the end of the summer). How's that for loyalty?