Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

I had been stewing for a couple of days regarding the text for an upcoming "Best Games I Know" essay about the Mets-Cubs rivalry and had been planning to post the results by mid-afternoon Thursday. I'm usually pretty good with deadlines, but this is one I'm glad I didn't meet. I got caught up trying to write and watch at the same time, keeping an eye on the clock with the knowledge that a 25-minute drive to get to work by 4pm meant I needed a quick game to be able to view the entirety. When the 9th inning started at approximately 3:25, I sent an IM to my father saying "If they get 5 here, I need them to do it in 10 minutes." It took 16 minutes and by the time of the hits by Msrs Wright and Delgado, I was already in my vehicle and about 2.5 miles from home. The perspective provided by Howie Rose was somewhere between " We've got a brand new shiny one!" and "Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!" and the moment was treated with the proper reve

I kid you not, the song just finishing up on the radio as I pulled in my driveway at evening's conclusion was "Walk-Away Renee." How appropriate. * Documented walk-off #343 in Mets history was the team's 2nd walk-off win of the year and first since Endy Chavez's drag bunt walk-off hit on April 24th. * It is the 16th walk-off walk in Mets history and first since Mike Piazza's against the Brewers on August 2nd, 2005. * The win comes nearly 45 years to the day of the Mets first walk-off walk, which came against the Cubs on May 15, 1962 (hello, AFLAC trivia question writers!). That walk was drawn by Hobie Landrith, the same Hobie Landrith who had the first walk-off home run in Mets history, on May 12, 1962. This one and that one are the only 2 Mets walk-off walks to come against the Cubs. In Landrith's case, his walk was the 15th Mets walk of the game (hello GEICO sponsorship!). Carlos Delgado's was the 7th. (here's the Landrith walk story, written a y

The something old is a welcome back for Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd and isn't it funny how you return as your replacement in left field heads for the disabled list. Some may choose to dwell on Floyd's last AB as a Met, but while I've voiced my dismay at one of the batters in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the NLCS, I had no issue with Floyd's turn. The Mets did the right thing, in my opinion, by not bunting in that spot, going for something bigger and better because Floyd had previously proven that he could deliver in such situations. The one I'm referring to is that which took place on June 11, 2005, an amazing conclusion to the Mets-Angels game that night, in which Floyd capped the evening with a three-run walk-off home run to beat the Angels. The game took place during the first week of this blogs existence, and I heartily recommend you reading my recap as an appropriate tribute to Floyd. http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/06/cliff-notes.html The something new is