I was once at a gathering of a chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research where we were asked to introduce ourselves and say what player we were fans of growing up. Becoming a Mets fan in the mid-80s, I was taken by the graceful, looping swing and the power — not to mention
By the numbers: Mets home openers
We all know the success the Mets have had on Opening Day since losing eight of their first nine. But having attended the last 19 home openers, and 20 overall (the Mets are 15-5 when I’ve been there), I wondered how they’ve done in their first home game over the years. So I crunched the numbers
Leaping down the line
The above photo is quite the capture, isn’t it? Joseph Monge of the Greenville Drive after he hurdled through Lakewood BlueClaws pitcher Yoel Mecias (who lost his glove) and first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins fielded the bunt and threw to the second baseman covering first for the out. But what’s not so great is the previous
Opening Day optimism
The Mets opened the home portion of their schedule yesterday with a satisfying win over a rebuilding rival on a gorgeous spring day. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year didn’t allow a run despite not having his best stuff, and a pair of emerging young cornerstones drove in the two runs. You couldn’t ask
Lou Gehrig in Asbury Park
Lou Gehrig, 1927, Asbury Park, N.J. (Personal collection) A couple of years ago, I came across this photo on eBay. It’s small — maybe about 2×3 inches — pasted to a blank postcard. On the back, in pencil, it says, “Lou Gehrig and [illegible] 1927 Ashbury Pk.” The illegible name looks like Janu, but it