Mar 05 2018 03:57 PM
We had an action-packed couple days down in Florida.
We had tickets for games at West Palm Friday night (Astros), Jupiter Saturday (Marlins) and PSL Sunday (Nationals) but the stupid storm delayed then cancelled our Friday morning departure out of LaGuardia. We readjusted to a nighttime flight out of Newark which did take off but didn't get to Florida till 2 am Saturday, so the Houston tickets went to hell and we spent a fortune on cabs and an Uber between airports.
At Jupiter on Saturday the Buckets met up with fmbc, or mbcf, or whatever his name is and watched real close between 3rd and home.
Syndergaard looked fine but the leadoff walk in the 1st and an up-the-middle from Bour (I think) led to the only run in the game. The Mets had the B squad out there.
Couple of observations:
*Alonso is not a huge guy, but solidly built. He seems to have short arms for a power hitter. Struck out twice, walked once, he needs some seasoning.
* Wilmer had a couple of hits.
* Rosario was HBP but we found out later he left due to an unrelated knee injury. So Evans played SS
* Sewald, Familia, Flexen, Ramos relieved and all were fine. Ramos most impressive of all, he was very easy.
* Patrick Biondi is comically small for a ballplayer, he looks like a bat boy. I imagine he gets shit from fans everywhere, there were lots of amatuer comics in the stands giving him the biz.
After the game and a swim in the warm ocean we went to a huge restaurant loaded with tourists in Jupiter where we had a 90-minute wait for a table. Chatting with others at the bar and checking the Islanders-Penguins reports, they lose in OT, and just then a Old White Guy remarks that the New Yorkers here have no hockey team and shows off his 2017 Stanley Cup ring. He says he's a Penguin owner but I know he's not Ron Burkle or Mario Lemieux. Had to look him up but he's US Steel chairman John Surma, probably down here to blow Trump for the tarriff thing. He wouldn;t have made conversation had he not been after my barstool. Screw you and the Penguins.
I dropped the Buckets off at the hotel and headed a few miles away to find a friend I used to know who 35 years ago sung in our town's favorite Police cover band and went onto semi-stardom with Ed McMahon's Star Search. Been through a lot since but now supports himself as a piano man. The gig was in a tiny cigar store/bar where the piano top is also the bar, loaded with more old fat white guys and grannies in miniskirts, all smoking. What a scene but they all love him. One of his regular patrons is John Stearns who lives down there. When he sees me he knows I'm a big Mets fan so goes to his phone and immediately calls Stearns (address book: John Stearns, NY Mets Catcher") to invite him. Sterns is in Denver so can't make it so he hands the phone to me and I have 30 seconds on the phone with him ("Working out, visiting friends in Denver..." ) before the piano starts again and I can't hear him.
Sunday was my first visit to PSL ever. We arrived too late to go visit the back fields but there were workouts there all day. As you know a more "regular" lineup was in but thanks to Matz couldn't overcome a 1st inning bataround. I've been saying this for a long time but Matz sucks. Almost any pitcher is capable of a few good outings but he's unreliable when he's going good and cannot be trusted to go good anymore. I'd expect extended spring training, or news that's he's hurt, to be coming soon. The Nats had their B/C lineup there, got a little lucky with a dunker and infield dribbler but they came after Matz walked/singled them full. We had a good view of the Cabrera-Gonzalez-Bruce convergeance. Gonzo's not going to get there but a guy like Guillorme might have.
* Bruce's HR was into the wind, pretty impressive. It was sunny, windy and real pleasant both days we were there.
* Zimmo's overthrow to home plate was also bad. We could hear him piously curse Blessed Baby Jesus after grounding out. Maybe it was just a grunt.
* We brought our gloves. Ruben Amaro Jr. tossed us not 1 but 2 out of play balls where we were sitting behind first base.
* Blevins struggled but Purke looked very good. Appears to have a very fast release.
* PJ Conlin looks small for a pitcher, nowhere near the speed and explosiveness of Purke. I know, different styles but as LH relievers easy choice.
* Tebow doesn't look so bad. He may be a lottery ticket but if you didn;t know who he was you wouldn't know he was different than any other minor leaguer out there. Hit a few hard fouls, not great with 2 strikes.
* Ty Kelly is my favorite guy on this team, I think. I hope he makes it.
* You don't want to put too much in spring games but we're 3-7, barely mounted a defense on Saturday and blown away by the Nats' AAA team on Sunday.
* Corey Taylor looked very good, got out his Matz jam by picking off a guy before throwing a pitch. That runner looked very embarrassed heading back to the dugout.
All in all a good time despite the travel headaches. Next time we would build in more time to explore PSL fields, weekday games and allow for travel surprises.
John Stearns' cigar buddy, 1987?
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Purke:
Sydergaard:
MCBF and JCL