Mike's Mets

As busy as I've been with work lately, a chance to meet Dana Brand, the author of the terrific Mets Fan Book, and some fellow Mets bloggers was too good to pass up. Lisa and I took the train into the Big Apple yesterday to attend Dana's book launch party at Mo Pitkin's. I was glad that I did.

Besides Dana, I had the chance to meet and talk with fellow bloggers Steve from The Eddie Kranepool Society, Caryn from Mets Grrl, Coop from My Summer Family, SNK from You can't script baseball and Zoë from Pick Me Up Some Mets. I also met Mike Silva, whose terrific interviews can be heard on NY Baseball Talk. Mike was there with his dad, who was updating us on the progress of the game. I also enjoyed meeting Kathy Foronjy, half of the team that produced the documentary Mathematically Alive, which captures the essence of being a Mets fan.

Via 21st Century cell phone technology, we were able to sweat out the end of the game that Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner couldn't nail down. When I heard the Mets scored in the top of the eleventh, I remember making a lame joke about Aaron Sele or Scott Schoeneweis coming in to save it. Little did I know...

Thankfully, the game had a happy ending. I had a great time meeting bloggers who I had come to know through enjoying their writing. I've been reading Steve's work for years, and last season Mets Grrl enlivened my enjoyment of the Mets with a fresh perspective that I really enjoyed. Coop and Zoë's blogs became must-reads for this season, and now SNK's You can't script baseball will force me to set aside a little more time. (I've added it to the blogroll, please give it a look.) When will I sleep?

Seriously, though, I had such a good time talking with everyone. It was the first time I felt like I really relaxed in a month of non-stop work. It was genuinely fun. The opportunity to spend time with real Mets fans who just happen to be really good people is priceless.

As for the game itself, it was nice to see John Maine bounce back from that terrible start against Washington. If he could figure out a way to get some quick outs he'd be golden.

There is little doubt that this club was somewhat soft and indifferent at times this season, and this will need to be addressed in the off-season. In fairness, though, they should get some credit for finally receiving the wakeup call and responding to it. If they maintain the level of intensity they played at this weekend through this homestand they'll have weathered the storm.

Here are some pictures from the event.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to see a larger image:

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