the 4th star

There seems to be two schools of thought when participating in the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Above is one strategy, laying down on the stones and taking the chance that the animals will only step on your head with the weight of a small hatchback behind it. In this situation, you hope the bull keeps on running and doesn’t stop. Otherwise, you could get the horns with little chance to escape.

Below, another way to take it.

You people are fucked.

A little while back, I extended an olive branch to Major League Baseball, hoping to mend the fence that was the Montreal Expos and myself. As expected, not one of the 30 teams responded to the $30 request toward this. I did receive emails from the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies, but they spoke more to selling tickets through old and current contact information I provided than anything else.

So. Here I am, back at square one. With no MLB team to cheer for.

Until now.

There were requests from Jim Toth to jump aboard his Houston Astros train. MasterClark invited me to partake in the tradition of lost seasons at the Rogers Centre. An anonymous emailer suggested I cheer for both the Red Sox and the Yankees — in an attempt to show just how stupid those fans really are. That’s not a bad idea, and I did consider it, but I’m actually looking for a real team. Not fantasy ones.

Those who know me know that I would be taking a National League club. Pitchers hitting, managers managing, base-runners running — those are the things I like to see in a baseball game and the senior circuit has traditionally brought those aspects of the game to the table. Long fly balls to right-centre are fun and everything but mark my words: One day, an American League owner will come to understand that he may not need to pay the extra salary of a manager. Just sayin.’

Enough preamble. Which team is lucky enough to have the 4th Star jinx fall upon them for the rest of their existence? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the…

NEW YORK METS

Fifteen quality reasons for the selection:

1. I own a sweet mesh Mets batting practice jersey that is way too tight but I wear it anyway. I have an old Mets cap, too, but I think I left it in the spare tire wheel well of my old Honda. “I had to smash that old Honda, baby.”

2. Gary Carter. Former Expos great played for the Mets. Un-huh. The current Mets management team of skipper Jerry Manual and general manager Omar Minaya also have Montreal ties. Plus they play in the same division as the Expos.

3. “Let’s take a relaxed attitude toward work and watch the baseball match.”

4. They will always spend money on players: Two reasons for this. One, to field a competitive team. And two, to not look like the Yankees little sister in New York. For examples of this theory, see Beltran, Carlos; and Santana, Johan.

5. A 40-120 record in their inaugural 1962 season. This is a team that Winnipeg can get behind.

6. Didn’t know this until today. The Mets colours (blue and orange) are a tribute to the former Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Truth be told, I hate the black hats they wear. Awful. I’d wish they’d scrap the black trim all together…

7. Jerry Seinfeld is a fan of the Mets. I’m a fan of the show. Even Steven.

8. Mookie.

9. Vince Coleman folklore. Did he actually do a line in the outfield during a game once? Who knows, but where’s there’s smoke there’s fire.

10. Along those lines, Doc Gooden.

11. The Worst Team Money Could Buy. Not a bad read for aspiring MLB general managers. That 1993 season was a beauty:

The lowest point of the experiment was the 1993 season when the Mets lost 103 games. In April of that year, Coleman accidentally hit Gooden’s shoulder with a golf club while practicing his swing. In July, (Bret) Saberhagen threw a firecracker under a table near reporters. Their young pitching prospect Anthony Young started the ’93 season at 0–13 and his overall streak of 27 straight losses over two years set a new record. After Young’s record-setting loss, Coleman threw a firecracker out of the team bus window and injured three people resulting in felony charges that effectively ended his Mets career. Only a few days later, Saberhagen was in trouble again, this time for spraying bleach at three reporters. The meltdown season resulted in the worst record for a Mets team since 1965. (Wikipedia)

12. The song. Unfortunately, the club also plays ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ after home wins.

13. Also didn’t know this until today. Actually, I should put this in the ‘totally forgot about this’ category. Ray Knight was the MVP of the 1986 World Series?

14. I like strawberries. The fruit, the bar and the player.

15. June 14, 1987. “Nice game, pretty boy.”

So…let’s see here. As of 4 o’clock Winnipeg time today, the Mets are 40-45, a good 5.5 games back in the National League East Division. Fourth place is where the march towards the World Series starts. Taking on Cincinnati this weekend. You’re so dead, Reds.

Probably should have slipped this into the Friday Wrap Jam slot a week earlier, considering the birthday of significance and the small skatepark session that happened last Saturday. Oh well. No one ever accused me of being topical or relevant. If that were the case, I might put this version underneath the title of the post and blow you away with my technical capacity.

How about more video time killers? For some reason, MasterClark sent this clip along yesterday. Hmmm. I’m not sure if it is an unwarranted shot at the physical appearance and mental capacity of New York Giants fans, but that’s exactly how I’m taking it. Sometimes I think he’s a closet Cowboys AND Eagles fan.

On that vengeful note, the real job may have me heading out to the park so I’m not sure what’s coming up today…