So how about that game last night?  My friend was at Citi and he said that it felt like September baseball, which only gets me more excited about my trip out there on Thursday!  That’s the hard part about being a Mets fan from Rochester…I’m still from New York State and everything like that, so it’s not like I’m a misplaced Mets fan or anything, but Rochester isn’t exactly close to NYC, so I rarely don’t get to any Mets games.  This year, I’ll make it to one game at Citi, so when planning my trip, I figured that I should make it a game worth seeing (and throw in the fact I’m going with my best friend who happens to be a Phillies fan), it only made sense we would go to a Mets/Phillies game.  I’m starting to get nervous though!  We’ve been planning this trip for months now, and the entire time, we’ve been ripping on each other, and asking for apologies when our team wins…now I’m starting to worry a little that the Mets may not have the 18-0 victory I was imagining…I don’t doubt my Mets, I know we CAN win, I mean, we’re playing against Grandpa…I mean, Jamie Moyer, not exactly a difficult pitcher to beat, but without Delgado and Reyes, and playing in a stadium that has apparently become the most homer-friendly park aside from Yankee Stadium, things may not go as I planned.  I’m just hoping that I don’t have to deal with that, and I will be rubbing it in my friend’s face that my Mets just swept her Phillies come Thursday night.

Anyway, there was a game last night to talk about, and boy was it exciting!  Yes, I would prefer that Johan not give up 5 runs, but luckily our bats were awake enough to beat that.  Wright’s homer in the 2nd was really great to see (yeah, a Mets homer is always great to see, but good to know that Wright hasn’t completely lost it).  It was great to see both Wright and Beltran homer last night because these are the two guys that we expect to carry the team.  In a normal season, that job would be spread between Beltran, Wright, Reyes and Delgado, but injuries being what they are, half of that group is unavailable.  Furthermore, we can’t rely on guys like Johan and Frankie to carry this team because relying on Johan only gets us a win every five games, and last time I checked, a .200 record didn’t win any World Series.  In order to get Frankie in the game, we have to already have a lead.  Hence, the responsibility falls to Wright and Beltran.  Yes, this injury situation is ridiculous and truly unbelievable, but there is no reason that the Mets can’t beat teams like the Phillies and the Yankees.  We took two of three from Boston on a depleted roster, we should be able to play just as good this week. That’s right Mets, I’m not honoring your excuse that everybody is injured!

Hmm, baseball post on June 10th, I should probably mention the draft…  So every blogger in the world is going to be talking about Strasburg, here’s my take: of course he was going to be drafted first, and yes, he will sign for a ridiculous amount of money (and yes, it will take a while before he actually does sign, stupid Scott Boras…).  I don’t know enough about the Nats to know if they’ll pay $50 million (!) for him, so who knows what team he’ll actually sign with.  Anyway, my real interest with the draft is obviously who the Mets pick and, surprisingly, who the DBacks take.  Anyone else (or everyone else) laugh to hear the Mets sign Matz?  Talk about being born to play for the Mets…  Think he and JJ will get along well? I don’t know too much about this guy, so I’m going to pull my optimistic card and hope that he’ll turn into the next Johan or something (and if that’s the case, I hope the Mets will actually hold onto him).  I know, you’re all wondering why I would pay attention to the DBacks draft.  Well, really it’s only for one player.  They drafted AJ Pollock seventeenth, a name that is new to most baseball fans, but a name I’ve been hearing for two years, that’s right, he’s a fellow Domer like me!  The #17 pick marks the highest pick a Notre Dame baseball player has ever had (he tied, of all people, Brad Lidge, who was also drafted 17th, back in 1998).

Since I am incredibly proud of my school, and all but one alum, here’s a little ND baseball history (feel free to skip this).  Notre Dame is never seen as a baseball powerhouse, so I take pride in the few Major League players we do produce.  Were any of you aware that Carl Yastzremski went to Notre Dame for two years?  I found this out a few weeks ago, and needless to say, was shocked and very excited.  Unfortunately, he’s in that group of players that didn’t graduate, and being a hard working student, I don’t exactly favor that group.  However, I can overlook that for Yas.  Notre Dame has had 17 players go on to play professionally.  Currently, there are five players in baseball. Aaron Heilman (2001 grad) is with the Cubs (and of course, started with the Mets, I was a big fan of his throughout last year when he wasn’t pitching great, and I remain a big fan now).  Jeff Samardzija, possibly more well-known for his time with the ND football team, is also a reliever with the Cubs and although Wikipedia said he didn’t graduate, I’m fairly certain he did, seeing as my sister was in his class and would know.  Anyway, he’s a 2007 grad.  Craig Counsell is a 1992 grad and is with the Brewers.  Brad Lidge (gag) is with the Phillies and I hear he’s not doing to hot right now (more on this later)!  He is the poster child for the group of guys that never graduated.  The fifth current baseball player is Matt Macri, who has spent some time with the Twins, but right now is in their Minor League system which means he plays in Rochester!  I’ve only made it to a few games this season (and he was sitting for one of them) but it is cool to have an ND grad on the hometown team.  Notre Dame also has two Hall of Famers (Yas and Cap Anson, a player/manager who spent most of his time with the Cubs franchise back in the early 1900s).  Anyway, although Notre Dame will probably never be seen as a great baseball school, I’m still proud of the few Major League players we have produced!

While at work yesterday, I received two texts, one from my brother and one from a friend, both telling me the same thing: Brad Lidge is on the DL.  Normally (yes I’m a horrible person), news of a Phillies player going on the DL gets me a little excited.  However, I was deeply saddened to hear this.  Who’s going to blow all the saves for Philadelphia now?  It looks like the Mets will just have to beat the Phillies the old fashioned way now, in 8 innings, which we can totally do (cue recap of last night’s game).  Still, I was really looking forward to seeing my team hit a walk-off off of the guy that cost us the post season last year.  Talk about vindication.  Now, it would be wrong to call Lidge my least favorite player, that honor goes to Jimmy Rollins.  It wouldn’t even be right to place him in my top ten (probably all still Jimmy Rollins, but for good measure let’s throw Hamels, Utley and Victorino in there).  In fact, right now, Lidge is one of my favorite players on the Phillies.  I’ve taken to calling him, “BFF Brad.”  Though, I should note, this is normally in a text along with something like “…just blew another save!”  Anyway, I hope Lidge makes a full and speedy recovery, and can return to his save-blowing ways promptly.  (Come on, did even you Phillies players think that his 2008 success would carry over?).

Well, I should probably pack if I’m planning on leaving in three hours for New York.  Hopefully I will see a Mets win!  Oh, and if anyone is counting, we’re now 4-1 against the Phils this season, who can’t seem to figure out how to win at Citi