What a perfect sign of spring -- survival and hope.
Man, do we need that. I’ve been moping with a head cold, or maybe it’s from the front pages, but along with Passover and Easter come the openings for the Mets and Yankees, and not a moment too soon. Soccer-buff Andy Tansey took this photo at the Mets/Willets Point IRT station. I remember the first day at funky little Jarry Park in Montreal in 1969. First game ever in Canada. I got there early and workmen were still touching up the premises. * * * Who doesn't love Opening Day? Lonnie Shalton, baseball buff in Kansas City, wrote his own appraisal of the big day. (He mentions a few things I typed -- and also lots of other baseball insights.) http://lonniesjukebox.com/hot-stove-71/ * * * Fresh paint may cover some of the flaws of the Mets. They have Syndergaard and DeGrom going in the first two games, and we’ll take our chances after that. The Mets don’t seem any better than last year – scary thought, that – but the owners did bring back old-reliable Jay Bruce, and maybe Conforto will be ready in late April, and maybe Céspedes can make it through a week or a month. At least the Mets are haimish – with familiar faces like Weeping Wilmer and Old Pro Cabrera and Prodigal Son Reyes. They are ours, for better or worse, or for right now. Having seen the first home game in 1962 in the Polo Grounds, I know that to be a Met fan is to root for the familiar, with all its goods and bads. The Yankees open in Toronto. Why is this Yankee team different from all other Yankee teams? Because they have a new look with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, both powerful, both charismatic. I’ve been conditioned by the recent dynasty to respect and enjoy the Yankees, as much against my religion as that is. Judge is so mature and Stanton is so poised. Plus, I read that good old John Sterling is working on his home-run call for Stanton – and that John had his cataracts removed and doesn’t have to fake his long-ball calls so blatantly. (What took you so long, dude?) This is all avoidance, of course. The world is screwed up. Russia incinerated some of its young people in a mall fire through incompetence the way our lawmakers and their NRA patrons put our young people in shooting galleries passing as classrooms. Did you see the faces of young Russians protesting the shoddy construction and careless operation that killed their contemporaries? This masterful photo by Mladen Antonov of Agence France-Presse mirrors the mournful but determined never-again postures of American youth last week. The world is indeed small. I can read a bit of Cyrillic – the young person with the long hair and olive jacket has a sign that says коррупция – Corruption. Can they haunt Putin the way protestors from Parkland are haunting Rubio and all the other “public servants” on Wayne LaPierre’s handout list? In the meantime, may the paint dry in Queens by Thursday morning.
Andy Tansey
3/28/2018 09:21:15 pm
Thank you, George, for the photo acknowledgment(!) and for providing some perspective, It is good for me to return to this site which, to me, is dominated by open-minded, intelligent, polite discourse.
Mendel
3/29/2018 02:10:41 am
Thor will hurl his opening pitch after nightfall in Jerusalem and I will root for the Mets immediately after searching for remnants of leavened bread. With hope, my home the next day will be leaven-free and my team will be on their winning way.
bruce
3/29/2018 02:11:10 pm
george,
Altenir Silva
3/29/2018 02:13:21 pm
Dear George,
G
3/29/2018 04:18:47 pm
Canada and Brazil. Happy opening day. I had a good opening day at home -- no way I am going to the ball park until the spring thaw.
bruce
3/29/2018 07:06:46 pm
George,
Michael
3/29/2018 04:39:44 pm
R.I.P. Rusty Staub 3/29/2018 05:11:36 pm
Good stuff George. This is the most interest that I have in the NY baseball teams since I was growing up in Washington Heights (upper Manhattan) and we argued about the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers. No matter who you followed, win or lose, something interesting was always happening.
Brian Savin
3/30/2018 09:33:33 pm
I missed the Mets’ opener yesterday. Probably got them the win. Saw the manager’s post game presser. Homo Skipper Modernus. But pretty cool.
bruce
3/30/2018 10:16:20 pm
brian,
Brian Savin
3/30/2018 10:42:10 pm
Hey Bruce, what took you so long? It was almost three quarters of an hour! Have a happy Easter! (And please remind your Prime Minister he shouldn’t be breaking bread with terrorists.)
bruce
3/30/2018 11:02:17 pm
brian, Comments are closed.
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