Saturday, April 12, 2008
OUTSHINED. [04-12-08, pt. 2]
Mets v. Brewers
Santana v. Sheets
So I was not here for the other great acquisitions, the other legendary starts. I wasn’t here at Piazza’s first game or Pedro’s first game or Seaver coming back in 1983 (although I have to admit that it kills me to think about all the baseball I could have seen, if I had only known better at the time. I will hold my father responsible.). There is nothing I can do about any of that.
However, I am here right now, and this is the first time that the Mets have acquired a player that I really, truly knew something about. I probably knew more about Johan Santana on a day-to-day basis than even TBF. If I could have snuck into the press conference or watched it live I would have. This has been a big deal to me, and while I realize that it’s also a big deal to most of the rest of you, I really took the acquisition of Santana to heart. Maybe because I understood what was going on and understood the value beyond just two-time Cy Young and the best pitcher in baseball. It was like, hey! this is my guy..
I realize this sounds silly, or an attitude better befitting a 12 year old in their 5th year of Little League, sitting in the upper deck with their team, hopped up on cotton candy and soda. Perhaps in some ways I’m closer to that kid than I am people my own age, in terms of fandom. But I was excited about today, anxious that it might get rained out, inconsolable at the thought that I wouldn’t see Johan Santana’s first start at Shea. When we got home last night and checked the weather, I formulated an entire game plan. Our Saturday plan seats are in the upper deck, which are not great for photographic purposes. I knew there wouldn’t be BP, but the pitchers would have to warm up. We would get there early, I would stake out the bullpen, and I could get some decent shots of Santana the day of his first start at Shea.
Well, we already know how well that went.
But, still, the game! Santana’s first start! We settled into our Section 8, Row H seats with great enthusiasm. The clouds hovered on the horizon, but it was warm and pleasant and every omen boded well.
I missed the ovation when Santana came out of the dugout and headed to the bullpen because I was running to the ladies’ room. “You can’t see *everything*,” TBF insisted. I disagreed, and took out the camera. So I didn’t see his first steps on the field, but I did get the shots of him coming out the bullpen, the crowd standing to applaud him as he walked down the foul line. It was a great, happy, optimistic moment.
The optimism lasted for quite a while, and then it disappeared like a puff of smoke. You all know what happened, so instead of focusing on that, I’ll just present a few of my favorite photos. I mean, I could do my usual ‘sounds of the game,’ and given the people sitting around us it would be fairly amusing, but I’m not amused, or consoled, or philosophical. I want this team to start f’ing hitting the ball. Now.
The best part of the day ended up being the fact that “Sweet Caroline” got roundly booed down during the 8th Inning Sing-A-Long, at least in the upper deck. Thank heaven for small mercies.
Full set is here.
I was also in the upper deck, and I was so proud of the people in my section for booing “Sweet Caroline.” Then they tried to start a f’ing WAVE in the bottom of the 8th, and I was considerably less proud.