Author: Susan Laney Spector

Rien ne réussit comme le succès.      Nothing succeeds like success.                  Alexandre Dumas  ***** And sometimes success after repeated failure comes when and from WHERE you least expect it. ***** Hats off to, yes, OUR BULLPEN last night!  And, specifically, the success of last night’s win goes to [drum roll, please] Guillermo Mota and Scott Schoeneweis!  Hats off to you, gentlemen!!  Heck, Mota even batted and almost took a fast ball to the head!! I would say that I owe each of you an apology for having booed you at Shea, but as frustrated as I have been with each of you at various times over the course of the summer, I can honestly say that at each of those times, I have assumed that you have done your very best in the given situation and have kept my mouth shut. But perhaps inspired by each of your successes in last night’s game and by LoDuca’s playing in spite of being in obvious pain and with his hand swollen–as well as by Carlos Beltran surprising everyone by being in the day’s line-up after an injury in last night’s game (probably ************* it up" because of where we are in the season)–Ollie pitched the way we desperately needed him to.  He walked no one, and we got eight full innings out of him, giving our bedraggled bullpen a sorely needed day off. Although the most obvious "feel good" stories about the past two games are about (1) the wins and (2) about the pitching, let’s not forget about Moises Alou setting a new franchise record for consecutive days (26 now) with a hit.  This guy is on FIRE!  I particularly like the sign that flashes on the scoreboard at Shea when he gets a big hit:  "HOLY MOISES!" Add to that our clutch pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson.  And the fact that not only is Delgado back but that it seems he’s wasting no time warming up and is getting right back to the business of hitting.  And how about Castro’s two-out three-run home run?  And the double-play Castillo managed to turn in spite of runner Todd Linden knocking him down?  So, guys, my advice is:  1.  Repeat the mantra– "STILL IN FIRST PLACE!  STILL IN FIRST PLACE!" 2.  Forget about what the Phillies are doing and, like a former Mets’ psychologist has come forward to say: relax a bit and return to that quiet confidence that you know how to play like the champions you truly are. AND 3.  Continue to build on these recent successes. Personally, I have a gut feeling that this is going to happen all on its own.

Oh where, oh where was our beloved closer

when we so desperately needed him

to get the job done? 

 

This one’s gonna hurt for a LONG TIME.

And the Magic Number is in

SINGLE DIGITS!

I’m on 

CLOUD NINE!!!

Dearest New York Mets:

  My Post-Season tickets are here.

Where are YOU?

WHEN  WILL THE PARACHUTE(S) OPEN??!!

***

  Sometimes posts just write themselves.

Literally copy-and-pasted from Wikipedia.

I kid you not.

*****

The Division leaders?!

The Mets sure didn’t look like they were the leaders this weekend. 

In fact, particularly in the third game, the defense especially took on more of the feeling of "Night at the Opera" than September-baseball-with-eleven-games-to-clinch.

I mean, I’m not really scared of losing the Division to the Phils at this point or anything, but still.  Being swept by them TWICE?? 

In the first game of the most recent series, in spite of an awesome double-play made on a diving catch by Wright of a bunt and a quick throw to first, and super catch in left by Moises, and innumerable other great moments, when all was said and done, those defensive gems were for naught and the Phillies came out on top.

Saturday, Pedro pitched really well and handed it over to the bullpen with a lead, but some base running blunders, some unintentional walks from the bullpen, and other gaffes rendered Pedro’s work null and void.

And yesterday, well…  Other than Beltran’s beautiful three-run homer that tied the game up, and Wright’s home run to put him squarely in the 30/30 Club, the rest of the game was pretty much ugly and embarrassing. 

If it weren’t so tragic, it might’ve been funny. 

Marx Brothers funny. 

Slapstick funny.

*****

And speaking of the Marx Brothers, one should never underestimate the comic value of a simple prop.

There were laughs a-plenty off the field on the opening game of this series when, upon entering the gates, fans were given false mustaches–courtesy of SNY–in recognition of two separate awards given to the facial hair beneath SNY’s Keith Hernandez’s nose:

It was really fun seeing all the fun everyone was having with this very simple prop:  young and old, male and female, using it as intended and in other ways, like as a caterpillar or other furry invertebrate stuck to one’s cheek.

Or even as a unibrow a la Frida Kahlo:  .

*****

The camera crew had a terrific time panning the crowd as well.  Click here for an SNY video clip featuring some of the fun inspired by the promotion.  My favorite is SNY’s Kevin Burkhart’s blond baby son sporting the jet black stick-on ‘stache.

As you can see from this photo, my daughter, Melanie, and  my husband, Garry, had their own fun too (although Garry came to Shea with his own mustache, thank you very much!!)   

*****

Some of my colleagues can scarcely believe that I put the oboe in the case for the entire summer.  Many of them fill the months that the Metropolitan Opera is on vacation with playing and teaching at summer festivals, performing chamber music, and playing symphonic music.

More power to ’em.

The way I look at is that we are SUPER lucky to have the opportunity to have the time away to recharge our batteries…in whatever way we choose.

Some, like I’ve mentioned, like the chance to play their instruments in different ensembles than the pit orchestra we regularly perform in and with the colleagues we perform with on a daily basis.  Others, like me, enjoy the breather from playing entirely. 

I’ve just found that, playing opera–with the long hours and late nights–and the intensity of our work in particular, I really need the time away in order to return refreshed and inspired to take on a new season with a positive attitude. 

I gotta tell you:  especially after a great Mets season like we’ve had this summer, I truly do return inspired!

But lest my colleagues think that I did absolutely no practicing between the end of last opera season and this September, I just wanted to submit proof that–with the help of Mister….er, Maestro Met, I have at least been keeping my vocal chords in shape with regular vocalizing at Shea Stadium, joining him on "Meet the Mets".  I was even put on the spot with my daughter (no slouch, she, possessing perfect pitch and having recently been promoted to the Advanced Class of the Children’s Chorus at the MET!) having been featured on Diamond Vision, singing a chorus of the "Meet the Mets" song for all of Shea Stadium to see!

So there, you guys!  I may not have soaked up any reeds this summer, but I was singing my heart out and working those diaphragm muscles all the same!

O.K., I know.  El Duque didn’t have his stuff last night.  But, he says that he’s O.K. and that his bad outing was not related to the foot injury.  So, let’s just assume it’s one bad night.  And, afterall, the Phillies lost too.  So the Magic Number still went down, and we’re a Baker’s Dozen right now.

So, AC- CEN– TU- A- TING the POSITIVE, how about Jose Reyes bustin’ up that offensive slump big-time last night?  I know the Mets have been winning without him, but it was still awful good to see him getting on base…and feeling good about himself!!

It sure was great seeing a bit of the old Jose Reyes..a bit of that YOUTHFUL ENTHUSIASM that tends to get this team goin’!

And speaking of youthful enthusiasm, a colleague of mine from the MET Orchestra forwarded this video to me.  What these youngsters bring to this symphonic excerpt from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story is absolutely insane!! 

I love it!

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/1hixW89RQHgKZjMYZ

You wanna see Shea rock?  I say let’s invite these young Venezuelans for the next Noche de Merengue, what do you say??!!

The Shea Faithful held a veritable love-fest For Pedro upon his first appearance there in 2007.  Following five scoreless innings, the crowd chanted "PAY- DRO!  PAY- DRO!  PAY- DRO!"

Pedro obliged with a curtain call.

Well, maybe not THAT kind of curtain call.

But, you gotta admit, Pedro IS larger than life.

And he’s certainly a character.

And is he EVER theatrical. 

I sorta picture him as a tenor myself.

Or, wait, no.   Maybe in the baritone role of Don Giovanni.  Can you see it? 

The MET Orchestra went back to work today, so I’ll be juggling music and baseball again now, thus the opera references.

Just because work is starting, though, baseball doesn’t have to stop, guys. 

Let’s carry the baseball season into November. 

PLE-E-E-E–A-S-E!!!