 Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Which one of you is the Tank? (Live From NLDS Game 1)
Steve and I go through our good luck ritual in meeting at Union Square. A good luck wheat grass shot starts us off on a healthy note. Being contrarians, we take the N at Union Square instead of the 4/5/6 to Grand Central and then transfer to the 7. Unfortunately, we wait a while for the N and I talk Steve out of jumping onto the tracks.
Steve and I took a brief walk down memory lane meeting from last February at Table 1 in Antarctica to today, Game 1 of the NLDS.
Today is about exorcising demons and Steve and I have many, especially when it comes to the Dodgers. The Tank is still emotionally scarred by the 1981 World Series loss to the Dodgers after being up two games to none. Steve is still scarred by the 1988 NLCS. Steve brings along a ticket from a 1981 game against the Dodgers.
After transferring to the R in Queens, the butterlies start growing. Steve has a headache and about to hurl where we entered at Gate B.
After a long wait on line in the 80 plus degree heat, we got to our seats just in time, touch wood.
John "Remember the Maine" works a perfect first after Reyes makes a great catch to start the game.
Beltran works out a two out walk. Delgado singles to center to advance Beltran to third. DW grounds out to second to unfortunately end the first.
Kent singles to center to end the perfect game. J.D. Drew hits a dribbler toward third to advance Kent to second and to get an infield single.
 Russell Martin doubles to right field but Kent and Drew are tagged out at home by Lo Duca on a great throw by Shawn Green (as the Tank predicted as we were walking in). I have never seen anything like this. Anderson doubles down third to score Martin. Darn it! Intentional walk to Betemit.
The Tank really has to go to the Men's Room plus to give the Mets good luck, touch wood. It unfortunately doesn't work.
Carlos Delgado hits a "Mike Piazzaesque home run" (after September 11 per Steve) to the top of the TV camera stand with one out in the fourth. Floyd follows with a bomb to right field near the HIP sign. Mets take a 2-1 lead. Green swings at ball four on a 3-1 count and then strikes out to end the inning.
Betemit singles to open the fifth. D-Lowe sacrifice bunts him to first. With Maine coming up second in the next inning, Bradford and Feliciano are warming up in the bullpen. Furcal works a full count and walks. Feliciano comes in to relieve Maine who throws 80 pitches and to pitch to Kenny Lofton. Steve and I are skeptical because Lofton struckout twice against Maine. "Remember the Maine!" Willie and you should have kept him in the game. Lofton thankfully strikes out against Feliciano. Willie brings in Bradford to pitch to Nomar. Steve asks who is going to pitch the sixth and seventh. Nomar grounds out to Reyes who throws to Valentin at second to end the fifth.
Taking after the Tank, Steve goes to the Men's Room to hopefully inspire the Mets to score more runs. No Mrs. Wright Shirt for Kathleen is found either.
Valentin grounds out on the first pitch to Nomar. D-Lowe is only at 68 pitches. "Increase the pitch count, increase the peace" is one of the Tank's trademarks phrases. Michael Tucker pinch hits for Bradford and works a full count. Reyes strikes out.
Mota gets Kent to ground out to open the sixth. Drew struck out. Mota strikes out Martin to end the sixth.
Lo Duca leads off to open the top of the sixth. A man to our left says to hit it "like a 19 year old" and Lo Duca singles to left. (Steve nor the Tank condone violence against women but are happy with the hit.). Delgado singles to right and Lo Duca advances to third. "Brass Monkey" blares out while the pitching coach comes out to the mound to stall while the bullpen starts to warm. DW comes up and doubles to right on D-Lowe's 90th pitch while LoDuca and Delgado score to increase the Mets lead to 4-1. DW advances to third on the throw home. After Floyd is intentionally walked, D-Lowe is pulled for Hendrickson with one out and runners on first and third to the tune of Queens' classic "Another One Bites the Dust". Ace Frehey's "New York Groove" comes on while Pedro is acknowledged by the crowd. Shawn Green strikes out. Jose Valentin is HBP and the bases are now loaded with Mota coming to bat. Mota flies out to right.
Anderson bunts in between second and first to beat out the throw. Betemit hits to Valentin in the hole. Valentin throws to Reyes who gets his legs cut out by Anderson. Anderson advances to third and Betemit is safe at first. Julio Lugo pinch hits. On 0-2, Mota throws a "bounce pass" to Lo Duca according to the "witty" man on our left. Lugo is out looking. Furcal singles in a run to make it 4-2. Steve hopes Lofton strikes out again but he flies out to right. Nomar is up with two outs. Nomar doubles on a 1-2 count to left to tie the game at 4. Darn it! It takes the air out of the sails of the crowd. Kent strikes out to end the inning.
Michael Almonte sings "God Bless America" during the Seventh Inning Stretch.
The Tank takes a restroom break to inspire the Mets. Penne inexplicably starts the inning. Reyes walks, Lo Duca flies out, Reyes steals second. Beltran walks. Delgado singles Reyes home and Beltran to third. David Wright doubles to right to score Beltran. Floyd strikes out. Delgado grounds out to first. Mets 6 - Dodgers 4.
Heilman gets one, two, three in the top of the eighth.
The Tank leads the crowd in Neil Diamond's classic "Sweet Caroline" which is also the XM Satellite Radio Eighth Inning song. Steve says it is also his sister's song.
Reyes singles with two outs. Lo Duca singles on a 3-1 count to advance Reyes to third. Beltran fouls off several pitches and works a walk to load the bases. Carlos Delgado is 4 for 4 coming into the AB. Steve hopes he goes 5-5 like Jeter last night. No shift, whoa! Delgado stikes out on 2-2. Darn it!
The young couple in between me and the "witty man" leaves their seats but the Tank ensures they don't leave Shea to give the Mets bad luck.
Metallica's "Enter Sandman" comes on as the Mets closer Billy Wagner warms up.
Wilson Betemit should have been out on strikes but doubles to right. Saenz flies out to center but Wright couldn't handle Beltran's throw to tag Betemit who tagged from second. Furcal strikes out. Steve and I flash the two out with our fingers to the crowd. Steve doesn't want to face Nomar either so we hope Wagner gets Ramon Martinez out. Martinez doubles to right-center. Darn it. The Dodgers pinch run for Martinez. Nomar gets two strikes and the crowd erupts. Nomar fouls off a pitch. A high pitch and a low pitch take it to 2-2. Nomar strikes out and the Mets "Take Care of Business" 6-5.
Steve gets partial Dodger closure as the Tank gets foul ball closure.
From exiting our seats to entering the train station, we held our new sign titled
"Reyes 4 UN
"Secretary General
"SteveandtheTank.com"
to the roar and approval of our fellow Mets fans. Winning games and solving world issues is what Steve and The Tank are all about.
Posted by Steve and the Tank live from Game 1 of the NLDS at Shea.
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