The Mermaid Parade

On Saturday I went to see the Brooklyn Cyclones, the single A short season team of the NY Mets at Keyspan Park in Coney Island.  It also happened to be the first weekend after the summer solstice which made it “Mermaid Parade” day.  Now, for those of you not familiar with what this is, “the Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954, and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event”  (http://www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml).  If you’ve ever seen this thing, you shudder to think what those other sources might be and possibly may agree that some things are better forgotten.  Need more info?  “The Mermaid Parade is an art parade, not a showcase for naked girls”  See, how that works is that the girls put ,ah, SHELLS and, ahm, small pieces of , ah, THINGS to cover the, ah, PARTS that would, ahm, CONTRIBUTE TO NAKIDITY!.  Yeah.  So, that way, it’s an ART PARADE!  Even Republicans would agree with that, right?  And because it’s an ART PARADE, it’s O.K. to bring kids.  Of all ages.  And if you want the party to continue, you can go to the Mermaid’s Ball which had live entertainment including such renowned acts as Bambi the Mermaid, Bunny Love, Jo Boobs, Little Brooklyn, Tigger, Dottie Lux and others.  Because, it’s an ART BALL.  To go with the ART PARADE!  What it breaks down to is this:  On this one day of the year, the lines for Nathan’s hot dogs are truly ridiculous, you don’t have to pay to see the freak show, and if you’re a twelve year old boy, you think you’ve died and gone to erotic heaven.(SPIDERMAN SPIDERMAN SPIDERMAN).  It’s a day when auxiliary policemen can strut their stuff (“You can’t cross the street here.  Only from the other side”  “Why not” “I don’t know.  I don’t make the rules.”) and no one can get to the bathrooms.  (“I gotta get to the bathroom”  “Then you have to find the end of the parade and cross there”  “Where’s that?”  “I don’t know.  I don’t make the rules”).  But the weather was glorious.

Before the Game

I was with my son John and we decided that the boardwalk and sidewalk were too crowded (“Please move up closer to the buildings.  I have to keep a lane open”  “Where do you want us to go?”  “I don’t know.  I don’t make the rules”) so we decided to go over to Keyspan a little early and eat over at the ballpark.  As we approached the stadium, we hear a band playing really loudly in front of Peggy O’Neils.  John started to comment on the age of the guitar player but then we come around the front of the platform and see the lead singer.  This is a guy with a sleeveless shirt, a beer belly and flabby arms.  It’s really hard to project edgy when you look like you should be sitting in a recliner holding a remote control and a Bud with a bowl of Cheetos.  And a folk/rock version of “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks doesn’t cut it.  But their album will be out in September.  If only we could remember the name of the band.

We walk in the Park and they are giving out piggy banks to the kids.  I remind them that I am with my son but the girl at the gate says “but he’s taller than you are”.  Evidently, Brooklyn has a height requirement.  So we don’t get the crappy giveaway (actually, I saw some kid with it and it was really cool.  A big baseball with a slot in it and the words “Brooklyn Cyclones” on the side.  Damn those restrictions!) but we decide to go and get some food and watch a little of the pregame warmups.  We cruise the concourse and pass most of the stands because I’ve been there before and I know where the outside grille is so that even if we can’t get to Nathans for a tube steak, we can have a burger from the barbie, and I know it’s going to be good because we’re early and they’re just starting to cook them.  So, you’re probably asking yourself, how do you mess up barbeque on a propane grille?  I’m no expert but I’m guessing that starting to cook without the burners on is the first step.  And I’ll bet that the frozen patties melted in the sun which is why they had that glazed dead meat look to them when the barbequer took them off the grille.  We decided not to eat there.  We grabbed some food from the concession stand and sat down.  The loudspeakers were blasting some bad rap during the warmups and John commented that classic rock might be more appropriate given the setting and I couldn’t agree more (“Dust in the Wind,  All we are…”  Hey!  There was a continuous breeze blowing off the ocean).  For those of you who have never been to Keystone, it is next to the boardwalk at Coney Island, right on the ocean.  If you look to left field, you can see the amusement park with the famous Cyclone wooden roller coaster (both a New York and National landmark) so it’s really nice in a Brooklyn kind of way.  The crowd was coming in and King Henry (think of Ralph Kramden and Bobby Bacala’s love child) was greeting people at the top of the stairs in a loud voice, there was a brass and horn section playing classic ragtime (no rythym section, just the horns in a musical scratch the blackboard with your fingernails kind of way), and maybe every third guy coming in was wearing a wife beater t-shirt with a Cyclone’s baseball hat.  Just a normal day at the ballpark in Brooklyn.  We spent the rest of the pregame watching the starting pitcher warming up in the bullpen.  The pitching coach was out there eating a bag of peanuts, talking to the pitcher in English and the catcher in Spanish.  Communication is the key to all things.

THE GAME

We made our way to our seats and found a couple of people from the office there.  The reason we were at this game is that it was our annual summer department outing to see the Cyclones.  This is our fourth year and I definitely always look forward to it.  We were expecting over twenty folks but at the beginning of the game there were only about eight of us.  Must be a traffic problem (Mermaid Parade?) and the stadium was filling up slower than usual.  They announce the ceremonial first pitch, several times, (so we’re not sure which one was the actual FIRST pitch) and then the national anthem, to be sung by a young woman in tribute to her father.  Even though we didn’t know why, it seemed like a nice gesture.  The boy scout color guard came marching on the field (because it was boy scout day at the ballpark.  Right after the Mermaid Parade.) and they marched to the front of the pitching mound facing the crowd.  That’s when about 50 other people came from out of the stands, walked to the infield and stood facing the flag in center field.  We didn’t know where to look!  The young songstress stepped to the mike and began.  “Ohh say can you see, By the dawns early light …”  Smooth opening.  So far so good.  “Twas so proudly we hailed, at the twilights last gleaming”   Starting to quiver on the upper notes, but what the heck, it’s for her dad.  And it went on like that for the first part of the song.  I wasn’t sure she was going to be able to hit the high notes but I knew I was pulling for her.  She finished up the rest of the beginning of the song in the same fashion and then, it happened.  On the line “And the rockets red glare” she dropped down four octaves so that in the blink of an eye, our budding mezzo soprano became a Budweiser frog, in a completely different key. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.  But it was for her dad, and we were in Brooklyn, on the beach, with the Boy Scouts and the Mermaids and DAMN.  She got a standing ovation!  Ok, we were already up, but it was a moment!

The game starts and we realize that there is a cheering section for the opposing pitcher that had come down from Hudson Valley with matching t-shirts and hats.  John suggested that maybe they were the pitchers roommates and that he finally got them to come to a game (“C’mon dudes.  It’s on the beach and I’ll buy the beer”).  Between us and them was a couple of rows of little smart aleks, half in Yankee shirts, dissing our buddy The Tank (“I don't want to be old like you" when I catch a foul ball), and generally working on growing up Brooklyn.  Both the out-of-towners and the little brats had a freakoid who looked like he now lived in the gym after he got out of prison, so nobody was pushing too hard.  On the field, Hudson Valley gets off to an early 1-0 lead and the roommates are losing their minds.  Meanwhile, more of the people from the office arrive including the big boss, Director Steve, wearing a hat that looks like a Bensonhurst version of the one on the cover of Frank’s “Songs for Swinging Lovers”.  Sweeet!  The Cyclones get out of the inning and the madness begins.  Minor league baseball in Brooklyn is different.  They stop playing the game and loud stuff starts happening.  From tossing water balloons, to throwing beanbags through holes, to dancing on the dugout, the whole idea is to keep everyone engaged and give away stuff.  Several times they come out and throw T-shirts to the crowd.  I’m usually never near any of these things but this time one went flying over our heads, bounced off a guy with crutches, and popped back into the arms of one of the women in our group  We had a t-shirt winner.  I think we were all proud of that.  The game goes on and the Cyclones start chipping away at the roommate.  The cheering section is quiet.  But now the score is tied, then the Renegades go back on top, but here come the Cyclones. And so it goes till around the sixth inning.  And then it’s time for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Race. 

The Nathan’s Hot Dog Race is where they show a film of 3 guys dressed in hot dog suits running down Surf Ave from Nathan’s to the corner of the ballpark where the left field gate flies open and Live, and in Person, the 3 dogs come running in, bumble their way down the line, and someone wins.  Big Whoop!  Except this year.  When the tubers were somewhere between first and home, a drunk comes barreling out of the stands and slides into home plate.  Safe!  He’s announced as the winner by King Henry, everyone cheers,  and the cops lead him away.  (“I don’t know.  I don’t make the rules”).  Also, right around this time, we’ve become aware of the fact that a couple of rows down from us, a group has started putting on hazmat suits.  And because we’re in Brooklyn, nobody notices or cares.

The Cyclones finally break open the game in the eighth inning and now all they have to do is get through the ninth and the game will be over.  Easier said than done.  The relief specialist comes in and he must have watched the “Bad News Bears” before the game because two guys are immediately on base.  The crowd is getting restless but we have a four run lead.  Now the outfielders start dropping fly balls but miraculously, no one scores.  Finally,  someone finally catches one and the game is over.  As we start to leave the park, the announcer comes and tells us “If you’re going on the Belt Parkway, go to Nathans and have a hot dog.  It’s backed waaaay up”.  Priceless.

At the end of the day, I was at a baseball game with my son and some friends, enjoying a hot dog and having a great time .  And I gotta say, it just doesn’t get any better than that.  We’re going back to Steve and Lori’s for a little after game get together, and just for a moment, life is perfect.  And we’ll be coming back again next year to do it again.

Written by Medford Bob and Posted by The Tank.

Medford Bob Says

Saturday, June 30, 2007 2:55:39 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Roger Clemens pitched again and lost again, further proving the experiment in bringing him back should be ended. The Rocket pitched 6 innings and gave up 7 hits and 4 earned runs, sending his ERA up to 5.32. He also did not strike out a batter and it was the first time in 200 starts that the Rocket did not strike out a batter.

I am sure that the Rocket will rebound. But it most likely won't be until after the All Star break that he is in top form and throwing smoke. It will be too little too late and way too expensive. The Yankees are better off making him a pitching coach and trading for some young prospect.

In other news Tom Glavine earned victory #297 last night in 6 innings of solid pitching in the rain, allowing only 1 hit. The game was called in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Posted by Steve in New York

Thursday, June 28, 2007 8:15:31 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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The Mets and Yankees both lost games last night that last year they would have won. I have gotten some email over the last two days disagreeing with my analysis on the Mets and the Yankees. Tuesday night is a microcosm of the both problems. The Mets only managed 6 hits last night over 11 innings and their bullpen held out as long as possible.

The Yankees managed 8 hits but also managed to walk in the winning run.

Unless both teams address their problems, expect it to be a long summer.

Posted by Steve in New York.

Mets Analysis (MLB) | Yankees Analysis (MLB)

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 7:42:24 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Good pitching shuts down good hitting. The Mets have good hitting and average pitching, so it is no wonder why they are in first place in the NL East. The problem is that they are prone to slumps as well as vulnerable in a 7 game series against good pitching. We have seen good pitching shut down the Mets over the last month as their offense has struggled. Now that the Mets have returned to their winning ways (but not ended their offensive slump) let's review the problem.

Most Mets fans are in denial and think everything is ok and just a few injuries caused the June meltdown. I argue that the problem was much more fundamental, remember they only had 3 hits in the 11 inning victory last night.  Yes some key injuries are hurting the Mets right now, most noticeably Mosis Alou. Alou was hitting .318 and with his plate discipline he provided great pop at the bottom of the order. It seemed that early in the season Alou was always on base. As much as Jose Reyes was the spark plug, Alou was the fuel injector. Losing Chavez was no help either. (On the bright side, at least Gomez is given some big league playing time which will help him transition to an everyday player in 2009.)

There is something else missing. That something is Carlos Delgado. In my opinion, Delgado was the reason the Mets were as good as they were in 2006, and why I was so upset in 2005 when the deal did not work out to get him here. Delgado's effect on Carlos Beltran both personally and with bat protection sent Beltran's numbers through the roof last year. Delgado was a big bat, if you got past Beltran you then had to face Delgado, then Wright, then Green. Now the Mets are missing that big threat.

The good news is that this is most likely just a slump, but without Delgado producing a few key injuries or other slumps leads to disaster. Right now there is a lot of pressure on Delgado, so hopefully when Alou and Chavez return by the all star break some of that pressure will be lifted. When the monster comes out of his cage, the NL better watch out. Hopefully he comes out soon.

Posted by Steve in New York

Mets Analysis (MLB)

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8:24:43 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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The million dollars per start the Yankees are paying Clemens to win them a World Series just got a little cheaper yesterday since he came in during the 7th inning for an inning of relief. He threw 18 pitches, walking Barry Bonds, striking out one, and giving up an earned run (and one hit). His ERA is now at 5.09.

Roger Clemens was so magnanimous in his offer to pitch in relief. The news media has anointed him a savoir saying "but he doesn't have to even travel with the team, so his offer to pitch is proof of his dedication to win."

Dosen't have to travel with the team? Are we forgetting that everyone, even injured players, travel with the team? Even the PR guys and low level IT guys travel with the team. But the highest paid player in the game gets a pass. So since he decided to come to San Francisco somehow he is so gracious. It is like the guy on Capital Hill who says "I am lowering government spending" but in reality is just lowering the increase in spending. Double talk.

What Yankee fans are not realizing is that the Yankees season is almost over. The Tank is in denial. Most other fans are too. (Except Mike in my office.) The starting pitching is acceptable now that Clemens has arrived, but not good enough. Middle relief is not there and frankly, Mo has seen better days. The lineup is ridiculous, like the All Star team, but as I said for many years (and the Mets have this problem too), good pitching shuts down the all star lineups. Pitching wins pedants. And the Yankees have sub-par pitching. The Yankees are 11.5 behind the Red Sox and 6.5 behind Cleveland for the Wild Card. Sure anything can happen but unless there is a major trade at the deadline for a young pitcher like Zambrano or Willis, the Yankees are in trouble.

The Mets have the similar problems but at least they did not break the bank bringing back Dwight Gooden. I'll focus on their problems tomorrow.

Posted by Steve in New York.

Yankees Analysis (MLB)

Monday, June 25, 2007 8:11:15 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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When David Wright hit a walk-off double last night in the bottom of the 9th for a 1-0 win last night at Shea, the Mets won the first two games against the Oakland As-ensuring their first series win since the SF Giants were in town in late May.

While this is cause to celebrate, there is still cause for alarm. The Mets pitching has been ok of late, epically allowing only 1 earned run in the last two games against a good Oakland team, but the starting pitching and bullpen has been shaky all month. Combine that with a season long drought from Carlos Delgado as well as Alou on the DL, the Mets still have significant issues. Bottom line, the Mets need Delgado to start hitting and Alou to be healthy.

Alou is not expected to come off the DL for another week or two at the earliest and Delgado is in a massive funk, a funk that may be due to an unknown injury or his off season wrist surgery. So we are looking at the all-star break before some relief arrives. Luckily, the Mets are in a weak division, they still have a 3 game lead over Atlanta and 3.5 over Philly. They should have a 10 game lead by now, but the month long slump has made that only 3 games. As we approach the all-star break, if the Mets can build a 7 or 8 game lead, then there is not a major cause of concern. We'll see.

Posted by Steve in New York.

Mets Analysis (MLB)

Sunday, June 24, 2007 11:01:39 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tom Glavine was stuck on 295 for over a month. He went 0-4 with an 11+ ERA since #295. These things happen. Looking forward to #300 at Shea.

Posted by Steve in New York.

MLB

Saturday, June 23, 2007 6:36:39 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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