Met 8, Yankees 3

(Omar and unidentified male companion enjoy watching Melkey Cabrera throw a ball over Jorge Posada’s head)

Perhaps it would be a stretch to call yesterday Paul Lo Duca’s finest hour in a Mets uniform — especially as the game lasted far longer, thank you Mr. Trachsel — the Mets’ receiver had 3 hits and two RBI’s off Randy Johnson. Just as it would be a stretch to say The Unit’s inability to retire fearsome right-handed hitters like Julio Franco, Ramon Castro and Eli Marrero is enough to make the Principal Owner throw himself down a flight of stairs.

My own afternoon in Yankee Stadium’s very hospitable Tier 24 was slightly less eventful than Mr. Steinbrenner’s. A couple of elderly gents to my right were engaged in a loud debate over whether or not Dippin’ Dots are available at Shea Stadium (they aren’t), and what consumption of said “artificial shit” says about the supporters of the respective clubs. The Skalar Brothers, they weren’t.

Still, as much as I love to kid around about Yankee fans, I was really touched by the extended ovation A-Rod received after his 8th inning solo HR that cut the Mets’ lead to 8-3. These paying customers are savvy enough to realize that every run counts and what might look like worthless stat-padding to the casual drunk, is really part of chipping away at a deficit.

I also liked A-Rod’s curtain call and the subsequent horseback ride around the field. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed this kind of love affair between a city and a player.

As you’d expect, other deep thinkers took in the sights and sounds of the Mets’ lopsided victory :

Watching Steve Trachsel pitch is always being on the very edge of a tall cliff while being having the tip of your shirt-tails tied to dental floss held by Lara Flynn Boyle. There really should be no chance you’ll escape to see another day but more often than not, you do. He gets it done, but I don’t know how much more my heart can take of Steve Trachsel. – Metsradamus

“Enough dad jokes about Franco™s age from what ever spare crew is working Mets games. Those of you in the Northeast probably have no idea what the hell I™m talking about. Thank god you get SNY or Channel 11. I don™t. Every road game I have to listen to an opposition™s crew and it was old in May. If you don™t stop, sometime in August I will be on the roof of a building somewhere with a high powered rifle.” – Dan Ziegler, Lone Star Mets

re: Aaron Heilman. He did pitch decent today, but the opposite field home run to Rodriguez was another example of Ron Darling’s point that Heilman was having trouble spotting that side of the plate — outside to righties, inside to lefties. The pitch to A-Rod was on the outside corner, but up around belt high. Aaron’s making progress, but he still has work to do. – Mike’s Mets


ESPN will unveil the NL and AL selections for the 2006 All-Star Game tonight before the rubber game of the Mets/Yanks series, and I think it is fair to say that High & Tight’s Mr. Faded Glory is thoroughly consumed by ALL STAR FEVER.