Master Index of Archived Threads


The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

metirish Jan 07 2013 08:01 AM

The guy from Glee ushers in the New Year sporting blue "outfielders?, what outfielders?"

Ceetar Jan 08 2013 09:07 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Jon Stewart, to Anne Hathaway on watching Les Miz: "I usually only cry when I'm watching the Mets"

Edgy MD Jan 08 2013 09:45 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

"HahahahahahahaDOUCHE!" --- Anne Hathaway

A Boy Named Seo Jan 10 2013 10:30 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan touches on Mets, Wilpons, and perspective. Mets-related crap in italics. http://www.spin.com/articles/yo-la-teng ... ign=011013 Singer-guitarist looks back on what he's learned in a lifetime of indie rock Fade, the forthcoming 13th album from Hoboken, New Jersey dream-fuzz trio Yo La Tengo, is somewhat curiously titled. Despite the album's mellow vibe, its 10 John McEntire-produced tracks illuminate a range of emotion that suggests singer-guitarist Ira Kaplan, his wife, drummer-vocalist Georgia Hubley, and bassist James McNew are still burning brightly. But perhaps the titular irony is intentional. YLT are, after all, known as much for their canny sense of humor as they are their sneakily consistent discography of swooning feedback-rock. Enjoying a much-deserved post-holiday break at a friend's home in Montauk, Long Island, Kaplan, 56, spoke on the phone about Yo La Tengo's nearly 30-year history and how his undying New York Mets fandom serves as both inspiration and cautionary tale. You never know if you're gonna feel inspired enough to make another record. There was actually a time quite a while ago when I remember our booking agent saying, "Ya know, you can now do this as long as you want. Whatever audience fluctuations will happen, you can count on there being enough people to make it possible for you to do this. It's up to you at this point." But on the other hand, I would say every time we finish making a record, there is that question, like, "Wow, I wonder if we'll ever make another one?" You always feel so depleted. Not in a bad way, but we're all sports fans, so we rely on the sports cliché as much as any athlete. You just leave it all out on the floor and wonder: Will anything come back? You're gonna feel horrible at times. Just try and ride that part out without too much collateral damage. I think one of the things we have learned — which has made it a lot easier — is that we really know there's gonna be low moments, and they don't necessarily mean what they feel like in that low moment. We literally got home from recording [1997's critically acclaimed] I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and called up [producer] Roger Moutenot and said, "We listened to the rough mixes on the way home, and it's a complete disaster. We're just gonna have to start from scratch and throw this in the garbage." And he very calmly just said, "Well, if that's what we have to do, that's what we have to do, but why don't you listen to it again tomorrow and maybe it will sound a little different?" And, of course, that's exactly what happened. What we learned was, stop listening to your rough mixes when you're in the van leaving Nashville. Change happens whether you want it to or not. We've never done much other than try to do something that sounds good to us, and that's really kind of it. Things that have changed have changed naturally, not because we felt any pressure to be different. It's something we've spoken about before — that if we made a record that sounded exactly like the one before it, that in itself would be so different it would qualify as change. So it's not something we've worked very hard at trying to make happen. It's pretty easy to forget anyone's actually going to listen to our record while we're making it. We have no perspective. We've got our eyes one half-inch from this. When people started reacting to And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, focusing on the words so much, I was completely taken by surprise. On that one, I knew the words were different than previous records had been, and there definitely were times when the ones I wrote, I'd show them to Georgia and James and with their support and encouragement, we kept moving forward and taking that as encouragement to go deeper. But I really thought that was the end of it. I didn't think anybody else was gonna be listening. That's one of the pleasures of immersing yourself in [the recording process]: You're really just dealing with how best to make the songs work and not really thinking about other aspects, like how to play it live. I also don't think any of us think that much about our old records. I know [Fade] is open and emotional. Whether it's more so than previous records, I just don't know. You just listen and count on yourself to know it when you hear it. We were writing [Fade] as a band, and some songs happened very quickly. We can be just jamming and a full-fledged song without lyrics can emerge. And then other songs won't come out that quickly, and it's the same way in the studio. Some things are getting tinkered with pretty elaborately while we're mixing, and other things are kind of moving in a pretty straight line. It's the Mets fan in me that recognized success and failure in a variety of ways. The aspect of being a Mets fan that I think is helpful to me is contrasting it with the stereotypical Yankee fan who thinks that to not win the World Series is to equate that with failure. I feel, at this point, like [Mets owners] the Wilpons are my friends in ways I never realized. I'm now thinking these guys are looking out for my best interests and saying, "You've spent a lot of time worrying about New York sports teams, and maybe it's time to stop caring and move on to other things. And as deplorably as ownership has behaved over the years, we're gonna be even worse and keep being even worse until you stop caring and really get the message that there's no earthly reason to invest any of your emotion in these teams." And I appreciate them looking out for me that way. I can understand why we're not for everybody. I'm sure there are people who would look at us and say, "Why would I want wisdom from this group? Why would I ever want to be doing this for 25 years and never become any more popular than we've become?" I do understand why some people would look at us and think, "Wow, that's amazing," 'cause I think so. But I think some people would want to know, "How can I make sure that my band never becomes like this?"

metirish Jan 10 2013 10:34 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

ha!, that's some strong stuff right there on Fred and co., not what i was expecting when he mentioned how ownership is his friend.

bmfc1 Jan 10 2013 04:44 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Thanks for the YLT article, A Boy Named Seo. I'm looking forward to seeing them at the 9:30 Club on February 15.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 10 2013 05:49 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I'm gonna see em next Wednesday here in Long Beach. Gonna wear some Mets shit & see if I can bro down w/ Ira.

bmfc1 Jan 10 2013 06:04 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

ABNS: Please file a report in the Live & Shvitzy Thread elsewhere on the CPF.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 10 2013 07:41 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Aye-aye.

SteveJRogers Jan 22 2013 05:47 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

A lot better than 'rasslers wearing gear as they throw out ceremonial first pitches, here a WWE wrestler has some designs from The7Line in his wrestling gear: [url]http://the7line.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CurtHawkins_The7Line.jpg

TransMonk Jan 28 2013 07:41 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater Minority owner Bill Maher touring Graceland yesterday in his ill-fitting black Mets cap. You'd think even Fred would tell him to get with the times and put on a new cap.

TransMonk Jan 28 2013 03:25 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

And again today in Baton Rouge... http://www.nola.com/entertainment/baton ... er_default

bmfc1 Mar 01 2013 08:20 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Keith Alberstadt. A very funny comedian who has been on Letterman twice (and was at the Gotham Comedy Club with me): http://sasstag.com/2013/03/01/newyorkers-32/

Edgy MD Mar 01 2013 09:50 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Standing up for bad hats.

metirish Mar 01 2013 07:23 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Maher is sporting the blue lately

TransMonk Mar 02 2013 04:23 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

metirish wrote: Maher is sporting the blue lately. Yea!!!

Edgy MD Mar 02 2013 06:46 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

This has been an uninspiring page one.

metirish Mar 02 2013 09:02 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

It surely has.....where are all the MLBS?

Mets – Willets Point Mar 04 2013 09:42 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

How about playwright and screenwriter Peter Mercutio whose New York Times opinion piece "We Found Our Son in the Subway" is a big internet sensation. And he's wearing a Mets' cap in his author photo.

Edgy MD Mar 05 2013 05:46 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Now that's a good find.

Mets – Willets Point Mar 05 2013 09:04 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Edgy MD wrote: Now that's a good find. Credit my wife.

metirish Mar 05 2013 09:11 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

What a great story....kudos to that judge......

Vic Sage Mar 05 2013 10:09 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

metirish wrote: Maher is sporting the blue lately HEY LOOK! A JACKASS... standing next to a statue.

Vic Sage Mar 05 2013 10:10 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

metirish wrote: is that the chick from DOLLHOUSE?

Mets – Willets Point Mar 05 2013 01:08 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Vic Sage wrote: metirish wrote: Maher is sporting the blue lately HEY LOOK! A JACKASS... standing next to a statue. Oh good, Vic agrees with me that Maher is a jackass.

Vic Sage Mar 05 2013 02:08 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

i agree with him way more than i don't, but i find him nearly intolerable and not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

G-Fafif Mar 25 2013 11:10 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Phil Griffin, who (accidentally, if this New Republic profile is accurate) set MSNBC on track, has a favorite team that doesn't include Rachel Maddow. Griffin’s corner office overlooks Rockefeller Plaza, and the wall space that isn’t covered by televisions is devoted to photographs of his children and his beloved New York Mets.

The Second Spitter Apr 09 2013 12:42 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Are the members of Blue Oyster Cult MLBS? The answer may affect my decision whether to watch them next month. I've spent too much money following Yankee Loving Musos in the last month or so and would to readdress this imbalance.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 09 2013 04:48 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Eric Bloom ?@eric_bloom 23 Jun #Delta cancelled my flight today. Made a gig at Ft. Knox KY after a lot of hustle. Let's go Mets! Expand Eric Bloom ?@eric_bloom 26 May Congrats to Mike Nikeas of the NY Mets! 1st Grand Slam HR. Expand The BÖC was second billed and limited to a 45-minute set but their seven songs rocked the house. The band was loose, clearly having some fun as they mixed the obvious (“Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burning for You”) with other material from their deep catalogue. At one point Eric talked about traffic on I-95 and then surveyed the packed house about their baseball allegiances. While there was a smattering of applause for the Mets, it was clearly a Boston house. He didn’t care, he said, he was a Mets fan and they were still in first place. Overall, they filled the time pretty well and got everyone to their feet more than once. Donald (Buck Dharma) remains one of the most amazing and underrated guitarists I’ve ever seen.

The Second Spitter Apr 09 2013 05:31 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Thanks Habib. I can’t pass up a twin-bill of MLBSs; after all the sins I’ve committed worshipping Yankee idols, what would the Met God think if I don’t go?

metirish Apr 09 2013 06:15 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Very cool, I wonder if Eric Bloom appreciates "More Cowgill".

Edgy MD Apr 09 2013 07:59 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Yeah, that's a funny confluence.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 09 2013 08:48 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I've been meaning to ask... what does "More Cowgill" mean? I've seen it in a bunch of places and I have no idea.

Edgy MD Apr 09 2013 08:50 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

It's a reference to the much-loved Saturday Night Live "More Cowbell" sketch. http://vimeo.com/39387904

The Second Spitter Apr 09 2013 09:35 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Heh. I may make up a sign (or delegate it to somebody).

themetfairy Apr 09 2013 09:45 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

The Second Spitter wrote: Heh. I may make up a sign (or delegate it to somebody). The Apple had this covered Opening Day -

G-Fafif Apr 13 2013 06:36 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Mets fan Jonathan Lethem on Mets fan Philip Roth, March 19, 2013. I only ever made Philip Roth laugh twice, to my knowledge. That’s weak recompense for the thousand hilarities Roth’s bestowed on me – bitter snorts of recognition, giggles of astonishment at narrative derring-do, sheer earthy guffaws. Of course, I’ve only ever met him a couple of times. The first time I made Roth laugh was in recounting a conversation I overheard while in line for a hot dog between innings at Shea Stadium, between two boorish men confessing to one another their preference for a glimpse of tight spandex even over that of bare skin; I mention this if only for the pleasure of bragging that Roth and I suffer the same fannish encumbrance, for anyone who knows the inside of Shea Stadium has earned whatever joy can be salvaged on the hot dog line. The second time I made Roth laugh is more important to me: we stood together in the late stages of an Upper West Side brunch party, where I dandled my infant son while Roth looked quite reasonably impatient to be elsewhere. In a quiet panic, bobbing up and down to sooth the six-month-old, I found myself monologuing to Roth’s increasingly arched eyebrows. Finally, straining for a reference that would interest my hero, I turned the boy’s head slightly to the side, displaying the fat curve of his cheek, and said, “It resembles one of those disembodied unshaven cigar-smoking heads in a Philip Guston painting, don’t you think?” The juxaposition of my pink son and the grotesques of Guston, like the earlier juxtaposition of Shea and Spandex, did the trick. And this was another lesson from Roth: In putting across what wants putting across, in seeking a rise from the listener, do whatever it takes, grab any advantage, employ even the baby in your arms. I would have juggled the baby if it would have helped.

The Second Spitter Apr 21 2013 08:19 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Das mah n*rf-herder!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 21 2013 09:29 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I have our tickets for July 19th already.

SteveJRogers May 20 2013 12:22 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Exposing Met-Loving Big Shot Frauds from 2000? WHY CHRIS? WHY? Okay, not as bad as donning a MFY cap, but still!

themetfairy May 20 2013 12:40 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Maybe it was a gift from Fred.

bmfc1 May 22 2013 08:14 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Anthony Weiner (:25): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x92OWufI ... r_embedded

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 22 2013 08:31 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I mean, I think he can beat Catsimatides.

Swan Swan H May 28 2013 06:35 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Tom Hanks is a well-known Dodger fan, but here he is with his McAlary moustache and the proper logo for a long run on Broadway.

Benjamin Grimm May 28 2013 06:40 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

That's a New York Giants cap.

Swan Swan H May 28 2013 06:53 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Benjamin Grimm wrote: That's a New York Giants cap. I thought so, but it's surprising that a Dodger fan wouldn't go Brooklyn.

bmfc1 May 28 2013 06:55 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I'm pretty sure that Hanks is an A's fan.

Swan Swan H May 28 2013 07:23 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Edgy MD May 28 2013 07:48 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I watched about 24 minutes of Cloud Atlas, and I wanted to call up Jonathan Demme and blame him for taking Tom Hanks out of funny films.

bmfc1 May 28 2013 09:25 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Tom Hanks is a national treasure and belongs to all of us. I'm sure that he was rooting for the right team last night, even if he wasn't in '73. http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-11033352

Gwreck May 28 2013 09:29 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Benjamin Grimm wrote: That's a New York Giants cap. It's not, it's just a poor quality picture.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 28 2013 09:30 AM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Gwreck wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: That's a New York Giants cap. It's not, it's just a poor quality picture. Wouldn't be the first for Tom Hanks #runforrestrun #seewhatididthere

sharpie May 31 2013 03:03 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

From Christine Quinn's upcoming book via NYT: When her future wife made clear during one of their early dates that she could only be with a Yankees fan, Christine C. Quinn did not hesitate: “I dumped the Mets in a hot second.” De Blasio, Wiener and Liu are all Met fans. Cast your votes according to you conscience.

Edgy MD May 31 2013 04:58 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Met fan/Yankee fan nonsense aside, that's speaks of selling out without so much as a conscience check. Boo.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 31 2013 08:52 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

sharpie wrote: From Christine Quinn's upcoming book via NYT: When her future wife made clear during one of their early dates that she could only be with a Yankees fan, Christine C. Quinn did not hesitate: “I dumped the Mets in a hot second.” She wasn't getting my vote in the first place. But geez.

Swan Swan H Jun 02 2013 03:40 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

I'm not sure whether the son of a former Nassau County Executive qualifies as a big shot, but here is the Suozzi family at Stango's in Glen Cove. I'm assuming that Dad is a Mets fan.

Edgy MD Jun 02 2013 09:53 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: From Christine Quinn's upcoming book via NYT: When her future wife made clear during one of their early dates that she could only be with a Yankees fan, Christine C. Quinn did not hesitate: “I dumped the Mets in a hot second.” She wasn't getting my vote in the first place. But geez. Yeah, that was more of a YLDB post.

Gwreck Jun 21 2013 01:01 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Mick Jagger? Says Jay Horwitz on Twitter: Long time Mets fan Mick Jagger,who is in concert next to Citizens Bank Park, will stop by and watch BP before his first Stones set.

G-Fafif Jun 21 2013 01:38 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Mick Jagger? Says Jay Horwitz on Twitter: Long time Mets fan Mick Jagger,who is in concert next to Citizens Bank Park, will stop by and watch BP before his first Stones set. Reads like another Boy Who Tweeted Wolf installment from Jay. I mean, c'mon...the Stones are still together in 2013?

metirish Jun 21 2013 01:43 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

It's just not cricket mate , if it's not true then Jay has a great imagination and likely too much time on his hands.

metsmarathon Jun 21 2013 02:19 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

does it not get any bigger than the governor of new jersey? he's a mets fan. even admits it to schoolchildren.

SteveJRogers Jun 21 2013 05:13 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Mick Jagger? Says Jay Horwitz on Twitter: Long time Mets fan Mick Jagger,who is in concert next to Citizens Bank Park, will stop by and watch BP before his first Stones set. Reads like another Boy Who Tweeted Wolf installment from Jay. I mean, c'mon...the Stones are still together in 2013? Not everyone can be The Beatles and just never get back (no pun intended) as a touring band since their last one-off on the roof of the Apple building in 1969!

Swan Swan H Jul 02 2013 07:38 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Also posted in the 7/2/13 IGT - Judd Apatow

G-Fafif Aug 15 2013 02:13 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

The Daily Show, August 14, 2013: Regis Philbin: "Why did you choose to be a Mets fan?" John Oliver: "Because as a British person I associate sports with misery."

dgwphotography Aug 15 2013 05:20 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Joss Whedon, closet Met fan? During a Q&A hosted by Nerd HQ, Joss is asked what was on his bucket list. His initial reply: I'd think I'd like to play third base, for the Mets... The Q&A starts at 26:00 Mets content starts around 36:30.... [youtube]t6IQgLBaSV4[/youtube]

Benjamin Grimm Aug 15 2013 06:43 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

If he can play first base, he's hired!

RealityChuck Sep 24 2013 01:02 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Not someone we want to claim as a fan. If you don't recognize him.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 24 2013 01:10 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

That looks like Carlos Danger. (big thing on the loyalties of mayoral candidates in the politics thread). The Weinerman is probably the biggest Met fan of all the candidates. De Blasio is a Red Sock. Pretty sure Lhota is a MFY fan.

themetfairy Sep 24 2013 01:36 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

That kid is awfully young to have such a deep Fed Up With The Paparazzi look about him....

Benjamin Grimm Sep 24 2013 02:17 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

He's probably tired of fielding questions about his father's penis.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 24 2013 04:49 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

Hey, if he can field questions about his father's penis, get him a glove!!!1!!1! Speaking of dad, I'm guessing he was a big Coney fan.

G-Fafif Dec 20 2013 12:38 PM Re: The Ways and Means of Mets-LovingBig Shots 2013

MLBS 1965:John Steinbeck. You see, my interest in sports is catholic but cool. I don't expect you will believe that I once sent for a mail-order course in alligator wrestling complete with a practice alligator, so I will not tell you this. Yes, my interest in sports is quiet but deep. I am particularly drawn to the game of rounders, which we call baseball. I would be wrong to call it a sport. I don't think the players have a real sporting attitude toward it. Mostly they want to win because if they win they get more money. In baseball I like the audience almost better than the game. I guess that is why I am a Met fan. But for many years our household was torn to pieces emotionally every year. My wife was a Dodger fan born and bred in Fort Worth, which is, or was, a Dodger farm. Every year, she went through the fervency, the hope, the prayer, the shining eyes and the loud and raucous voice and, finally, after the season the dark and deadly gloom and despair that lasted clear into spring-training time. I guess our family devoted more pure spiritual energy to the Dodgers than to any other religious organization. This, of course, was before they defected to the West. Any kind of skulduggery and ineptness my wife could Forgive and even defend, but treason she could not take. She is a Met fan now, and our house is whole again. Early on, to save arguments, I became an Oriole fan and even bought a little stock in that club. If you were for anyone else you got an argument, but if you said you were an Oriole fan people just laughed and let you alone. I thought I had a guarantee that they would stay on the bottom, but now they have doublecrossed me by climbing up. I nearly went to the Senators, because there is a federal law which forbids them to win. Then the Mets happened, and I was stuck. Baseball brings out a kind of pugnacious frustration in foreigners. Once as guests of a very old and dear friend in London, we were at Lord's watching a sedate and important cricket match. When a player let a fast ball go by, my wife yelled, "Git it! What ya got, lead in ya pants?" A deathly silence fell on the section around us, and it was apparent that our host would have to resign from all his clubs. After-ward he lectured her gently. "My dear," he said, "we don't do it." "Peewee Reese would of got it," said my elegant moglie. "Don't tell me about baseball," said our host. "It's only rounders, and I know all about it. Don't forget, I, too, have been to Egbert's Field." There is no way to explain that baseball is not a sport or a game or a contest. It is a state of mind, and you can't learn it. [...] So you see, Ray Cave, it was a mistake to ask me to write an essay about sports. Hell, I don't even know the batting average of Eddie Kranepool.