Author: Susan Laney Spector
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Houston Road Trip
Susan, Garry & Melanie Spector journey to Houston for two Mets games at the “Juice Box” on July 5th and 6th, 2007.
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Philadelphia Road Trip
Susan, Garry & Melanie Spector journey south on the New Jersey Turnpike for two Mets games at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 30th and July 1st, 2007.
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Say Goodbye to Mile High
Humidor or no humidor…it ain’t working at Coors Field, guys. What happened?!
Well, I’m going to bed and will be boarding a flight for Houston in the morning. I’m hoping when you guys return to sea level you’ll regain your equilibrium.
I don’t really want to travel all that way just to watch that silly train go around the tracks!
And, if it’s true what they say about Texas, I hope that translates into bigger numbers of runs scored, stolen bases, home runs, extra-base hits, etc.
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Pour it on, guys: the Phillies and the Braves are NOT cruising in to the All-Star Break!
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Citizen’s Bank Ballpark
I admit it: I was greedy and wanted so badly to walk away with a sweep of the four-game series, especially because that fourth game should have been won.
But the Mets did take three out of four, and I think we Mets fans have Citizens Bank Ballpark to thank for getting some of our own bats cranking again, particularly the Carloses’!!
A few notes on our family road trip to Philadelphia:
This is my third trip to Citizen’s Bank Park, and each time I go there it makes me more anxious for the completion of Citi Field. I can’t wait for OUR new "retro" park with more spacious walkways and the Jackie Robinson Pavilion, etc. I doubt we’ll get cheese steaks and crab fries, but do we dare hope for improved concessions?
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Phillies fans will boo anything. I knew that. But they will boo anything that Pat Burrell and Charlie Manuel do. Whatever they do. Pat Burrell could walk up to the plate and they’d boo. Charlie Manuel could take out the line-up card and they’d boo. Those two never get a break from the fans. Ever.
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Back in our hotel following Saturday’s win, we were astonished to read online that Oliver Perez would be missing his start the next day because of back problems. That same evening, I was looking over the photos I had taken at the game, including this shot of the Mets congratulating each other on the field. As I looked at this photo, I did a double-take: could El Duque be to blame for Perez’s injury? Doesn’t it look like he’s about to give him a noogie? Was some day-off horse-play to blame here? Maybe my camera had inadvertently captured some kind of evidence! 
Well, I never feel warmly welcomed by the Phillies fans, and this weekend was no exception. The players themselves, though, didn’t treat us so badly this past weekend. I mean, their power hitters didn’t present nearly the threat they could have. And I can personally attest to the fact that they’re actually a swell bunch of guys once you get to know them–yes, even Jimmy Rollins, believe it or not. **********
And finally, a morning visit to Philadelphia’s Old City area proved to be far more educational than we could have predicted. I never would’ve known, prior to our visit to the Betsy Ross House, that the Mets franchise, much less the sport of baseball itself, extended back to the 18th century!!
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
I say, keep it silent, all weekend long…just like the historic cracked one!
Following up my daughter’s extensive studies of the Revolutionary War period in fourth grade this past year, my family and I are off to Olde City Philadelphia early in the morning to see the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’s house, and Independence Hall. Following that, we will be at Citizen’s Bank Park for the Mets/Phillies game. We will also be at Sunday’s game.
We’d love to NEVER see/hear this neon bell during our time at the ballpark.
NO PROBLEM!!!
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Keith and Phriend
Besides the two games between the Mets and Phillies today at Citizens Bank Park today, there were some priceless comic moments on SNY-TV unrelated to the games themselves.
- Near the end of Game 2 when David Wright and co-conspirators decorated Castro’s hat unbeknownst to him. (Methinks everyone was getting a tad punchy. Thank goodness they were able to pull the win out. Otherwise, this stuff would not have been funny in the least!)
- Kevin Burkhardt and the Valentin mustache fans and their T-shirts and seeing Valentin’s face in the dugout when one of the T-shirts made its way to him. Delightful!
- My personal favorite: when the Philly Phanatic made his way into the Philadelphia TV booth when Keith was making a guest appearance there. The Phanatic–as might be expected–made a big to-do about this intruder stepping over from the enemy lines.
I wondered, though, if they sat down over a beer if they wouldn’t just hit it off, Keith and the Phanatic.
In fact, they might just make great colleagues. Imagine them both in the booth together: Keith doing play-by-play and PP doing color (ar ar) commentary!
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YUMMY!!
Was this the most DELICIOUS, DELECTABLE, DOUBLE DIP, or WHAT??!! POSITIVELY SCRUMPTIOUS!
I don’t mean to be a glutton, but I’ll be back for more–in person–tomorrow!
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The fans at CBP are watching the fireworks now (small consolation, I’m sure), but for Mets fans, the two games that preceded the pyrotechnics were FAR more impressive!!
Perfect Pitch 
