Posts are probably gonna be limited for awhile (no foolin') but couldn't resist this...
With the birth of a new season upon us, I feel compelled to reinvent this blog to fit the needs of the community.
Walk-offs have run (or walked) their course and it's time to focus on something new. You may recall that I dabbled in such a thought at this time in each of the last four years, but my foolish pursuit to chronicle the history of Mets walks lasted merely one day, my intent to break down every Mets chalk-off turned into a brief endeavor, my desire to extract the finest details from every collision between ball (or person) and wall ran its (collision) course quite quickly, and the idea of charting every stupid Met-made comment became too huge an undertaking (especially in 2009).
I don't profess to be an expert in this blogging thing by any means, but I think it has been a worthwhile experience.
About 58 months ago, I came across a blog that was very unique- PlunkBiggio- which was devoted to recording Craig Biggio's (since retired) hit-by-pitch count. It is rare to find such a cleverly done "niche blog" and in thinking about it, I decided that my walk-off niche just isn't clever enough.
To make a long story short, I have decided to retool my blog to focus not on Walks, Chalks, Walls or Talks, but instead on Stomp-Offs.
For those who don't understand the meaning, think of what happens when you walk with great force, and you'll understand the terminology. A few days ago, I was stomping around in dealing with some Mets-related frustrations, and Nirvana! A new idea was born.
We'll define a Stomp-Off as a game in which the Mets score so many runs in the first inning that their opponent needn't compete the remainder of the contest. In other words: a game in which the Mets scored enough runs in the first inning to win, regardless of what their opponent did the rest of the way. Walk-offs are torture. Stomp-offs are fun.
With this winter having dragged on endlessly and miserably, it has become clear that the most interesting type of Mets minutiae to watch/write about/talk about is when the Mets beat their opponent into the ground in devastating (yes, devastating) fashion.
Admittedly, chronicling these instances seems a bit excessive, but I think I can do it in an entertaining and informative fashion that you will enjoy. There is much interesting knowledge to be gleaned from this part of Mets history. In just a few hours of work, I was able to study them in fascinating detail, to the point where I was able to compile a list of those most significant and memorable to the Flushing faithful.
* Perhaps the most impressive stomp-off took place on August 16, 1988, when the Mets scored nine runs in the first inning (amazingly none of the eight hits from that powerful lineup were home runs) on the way to a 13-6 win over the Giants in San Francisco. A dropped pop up by Robby Thompson (remember that, walk-off fans) highlighted the rout.
* Four runs isn't quite to the level of a mega-stomp-off, but it may as well have been in Game 3 of the 1986 World Series, when the Mets scored four runs in the top of the first. You may recall, those who have watched "A Year To Remember" (I've seen it 1,986 times), Oil Can Boyd stomping around the mound in frustration. Fun stuff.
* There is such a thing as a 1-0 Stomp-Off, and there's also such a thing as an Ultimate Stomp-Off. We'll define that as a 1-0 win in which the Mets led after the games first batter. The classic example of that is May 12, 2004 when Kaz Matsui homered off Randy Johnson to lead off the game, and Tom Glavine made it stand up for (a not-needed as much as others) victory.
As we commence on any future work, it seems only right that I offer up a chance to readership to contribute to this blogging endeavor. So if you have a story to share about your favorite stomp-off, please feel free to do so here.
With the birth of a new season upon us, I feel compelled to reinvent this blog to fit the needs of the community.
Walk-offs have run (or walked) their course and it's time to focus on something new. You may recall that I dabbled in such a thought at this time in each of the last four years, but my foolish pursuit to chronicle the history of Mets walks lasted merely one day, my intent to break down every Mets chalk-off turned into a brief endeavor, my desire to extract the finest details from every collision between ball (or person) and wall ran its (collision) course quite quickly, and the idea of charting every stupid Met-made comment became too huge an undertaking (especially in 2009).
I don't profess to be an expert in this blogging thing by any means, but I think it has been a worthwhile experience.
About 58 months ago, I came across a blog that was very unique- PlunkBiggio- which was devoted to recording Craig Biggio's (since retired) hit-by-pitch count. It is rare to find such a cleverly done "niche blog" and in thinking about it, I decided that my walk-off niche just isn't clever enough.
To make a long story short, I have decided to retool my blog to focus not on Walks, Chalks, Walls or Talks, but instead on Stomp-Offs.
For those who don't understand the meaning, think of what happens when you walk with great force, and you'll understand the terminology. A few days ago, I was stomping around in dealing with some Mets-related frustrations, and Nirvana! A new idea was born.
We'll define a Stomp-Off as a game in which the Mets score so many runs in the first inning that their opponent needn't compete the remainder of the contest. In other words: a game in which the Mets scored enough runs in the first inning to win, regardless of what their opponent did the rest of the way. Walk-offs are torture. Stomp-offs are fun.
With this winter having dragged on endlessly and miserably, it has become clear that the most interesting type of Mets minutiae to watch/write about/talk about is when the Mets beat their opponent into the ground in devastating (yes, devastating) fashion.
Admittedly, chronicling these instances seems a bit excessive, but I think I can do it in an entertaining and informative fashion that you will enjoy. There is much interesting knowledge to be gleaned from this part of Mets history. In just a few hours of work, I was able to study them in fascinating detail, to the point where I was able to compile a list of those most significant and memorable to the Flushing faithful.
* Perhaps the most impressive stomp-off took place on August 16, 1988, when the Mets scored nine runs in the first inning (amazingly none of the eight hits from that powerful lineup were home runs) on the way to a 13-6 win over the Giants in San Francisco. A dropped pop up by Robby Thompson (remember that, walk-off fans) highlighted the rout.
* Four runs isn't quite to the level of a mega-stomp-off, but it may as well have been in Game 3 of the 1986 World Series, when the Mets scored four runs in the top of the first. You may recall, those who have watched "A Year To Remember" (I've seen it 1,986 times), Oil Can Boyd stomping around the mound in frustration. Fun stuff.
* There is such a thing as a 1-0 Stomp-Off, and there's also such a thing as an Ultimate Stomp-Off. We'll define that as a 1-0 win in which the Mets led after the games first batter. The classic example of that is May 12, 2004 when Kaz Matsui homered off Randy Johnson to lead off the game, and Tom Glavine made it stand up for (a not-needed as much as others) victory.
As we commence on any future work, it seems only right that I offer up a chance to readership to contribute to this blogging endeavor. So if you have a story to share about your favorite stomp-off, please feel free to do so here.
Comments
How many stomp-offs are we talking about? I'm curious to learn whether the Mets have won a greater-than-average percentage of games in this fashion compared to other franchises, and how often the Amazin' comebacks have fallen short, leaving the Mets on the losing end of a stomp-off...