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Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

G-Fafif Jul 27 2022 07:48 AM

Tim Healey commutes to work with Mark Canha. THE 7 TRAIN — On a steamy platform in the matrix that is the busiest subway station in New York City, Mark Canha looks like a regular — because he is. He had just taken the 1 train to Times Square, a necessary evil, and now was switching to the 7, which he would take to his place of work, Citi Field. With a smoothie in hand and sunglasses hanging from his shirt, he barely had to think when an out-of-town family asked in which direction to go for the Statue of Liberty. The train rolled up, the doors opened and he got on. The AC was working. That was fortunate. This is Canha's commute — not for every home game, but a lot of them — in his first year with the Mets. A Bay Area native and former Oakland Athletic, Canha wanted a real New York experience for him and his family this year. That means embedding themselves in the culture by living on the Upper West Side and taking the subway — including to the Subway Series on Tuesday. “It's practical, it's cheap, it's pretty reliable,” Canha said as he let Newsday tag along for his ride to the ballpark before playing the Yankees. “It drops me off right at the stadium. Why not? It's New York. I feel like that's what you do.” Canha and his wife, Marci, are city people, he said, and they want their 4-year-old and 2-year-old daughters to be city people, too. So when he signed with the Mets last offseason, living in the five boroughs was a huge draw. He floated the idea of Brooklyn — “I think we would vibe with Brooklyn,” he said — but they decided on Manhattan because, well, it's Manhattan. You can get any kind of food delivered to your door at about any time of day, there is a pharmacy on every block and, hey, the kids' favorite Central Park playground is just a walk away. The Canhas have liked it so much that they stuck around for the All-Star break, using the downtime to go to a Broadway show and get to a couple of restaurants they'd been meaning to try. “When you have New York City and Manhattan at your disposal, you gotta be in the epicenter of it, be in the noise, have your kids experience that,” Canha said. “We like to be in a busy city. It's been great. We were laughing the other day because my oldest, we're saying she's going to be an architect like her mom was because she's already pointing at buildings. We're crossing the bridge and she's in awe of how big the buildings are.” These first months of New York City life have yielded some strong conclusions. Most frequented non-commute subway stop? Columbus Circle, which is near a lot of good eateries and has an elevator, which is helpful when carrying a diaper bag and a stroller. Older daughter's favorite locale? Times Square, because Peppa Pig, in a book, also visited once. Go-to bagel place? Bagel & Co. at 79th and Amsterdam. Once you find the one, you don't need to keep looking. “I really don't. Next year, if we live somewhere else, I'm gonna be like, we need to go to the Upper West Side to get bagels,” Canha said. “I want that same thing but for pizza. I want my pizza place where I'm like, oh, this is the one. That ah-ha moment that I haven't had yet.” Canha's 7 train got more crowded at each stop Tuesday, but nobody seemed to notice that the Mets' leftfielder was among them. He said he gets recognized around his neighborhood sometimes, almost never on the subway, which is almost downright leisurely a lot of days. “I like a longer commute, actually, because there's that separation of your home life and your work life,” Canha said. “The long commute gives me time to pause and think and plan out my day, or maybe just turn my brain off for a little bit and relax for a little bit before I get to the ballpark and get focused.” When the train pulled up to Mets-Willets Point and Citi Field came into view, that was his cue. He walked down the steps, past the Tom Seaver statue, by the posters of franchise greats and through the stadium entrance named after new Hall of Famer Gil Hodges. “It's a nice reminder of what you're playing for,” Canha said. “You're playing for an organization that has a lot of rich history. A lot of people care about this and have a passion for all of this stuff. They take the subway and come in to watch me play. I don't take that lightly. I realize that you have a certain obligation when you put on a uniform, whoever you're playing for, to the fans to play inspired baseball." https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mark-canha-mets-yankees-subway-series-o2futy7e

MFS62 Jul 27 2022 07:57 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

Sounds like there's a lot of the old Brooklyn Dodgers in Mark. Guys who stayed in New York during the off-season to enjoy the experience and raise their families. I'm liking him more and more. Thanks, Later

Edgy MD Jul 27 2022 09:11 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

We certainly need to get a New York architecture firm to hire Marci.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jul 27 2022 09:44 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

And yeah, talk about a guy totally who gets it, right? Also, the material is well handled And you know MLB also knows this, sort of, thanks to this collision of interests and work that I myself never had and still only have sometimes

A Boy Named Seo Jul 27 2022 10:17 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

I really dig this guy. He was mic'd up the other night and said his last name is Portuguese and the "nh" is actually pronounced Caña. He said it should be pronounced like the Brazilian footballers (think Ronaldihno), and he even told the booth to drop his first name and simply refer to him as CANHA. I love it.

Edgy MD Jul 27 2022 10:17 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

I'm gradually getting the hang of which one is Bassitt and which one is Canha.

Marshmallowmilkshake Jul 27 2022 10:23 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

That was a great read! I heard the highlights of the mic-ed up part, especially the pronunciation part.

smg58 Jul 27 2022 10:28 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

I lived up by Columbia for ten years and I never considered changing subway trains at Times Square to be an "evil," necessary or otherwise. I bet they go to the Museum of Natural History a lot. (And next time we go, I might have to check out Bagel and Co. to get a not-so-random Mets sighting.)

MFS62 Jul 27 2022 10:32 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

=smg58 post_id=101184 time=1658939307 user_id=62] (And next time we go, I might have to check out Bagel and Co. to get a not-so-random Mets sighting.)

A/K/A Stalking.

Later

smg58 Jul 27 2022 10:36 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

You say it like there's something wrong with it.

MFS62 Jul 27 2022 10:52 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

=smg58 post_id=101186 time=1658939770 user_id=62] You say it like there's something wrong with it.

LOL!

Later

Ceetar Jul 27 2022 12:09 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

A Boy Named Seo wrote: I really dig this guy. He was mic'd up the other night and said his last name is Portuguese and the "nh" is actually pronounced Caña. He said it should be pronounced like the Brazilian footballers (think Ronaldihno), and he even told the booth to drop his first name and simply refer to him as CANHA. I love it. Marysol Castro goofed on this later on in the game and announced him with that pronunciation in the stadium for his next AB.

vtmet7 Jul 28 2022 10:38 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

not sure whether this was addressed or not...or where I should discuss the topic...but since this is a Mark Canha related thread, I figured why not here... Anyone here watch the ESPN telecast on Sunday followed by the ESPN telecast last night? It was driving me nuts on Sunday (I didn't hear the Can"YA" in-game interview, I joined in later in the broadcast apparently) hearing the ESPN dorks saying "Can-YA" repeatedly when they would talk about Mar-con-a (as Gary usually calls him)... Apparently, Mrs Mar-con-a addressed the issue since then, basically saying that ESPN was wrong...and last night ESPN admitted that Mark played them for fools (without admitting that they made fools of themselves...just stating that if he went to Lisbon, it would be Mark Can"Ya")...

Benjamin Grimm Jul 28 2022 10:42 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

Someone should tell Gary Cohen that Canha's name is pronounced "Can-or-Reese".

vtmet7 Jul 28 2022 10:43 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

can or reese?

Ceetar Jul 28 2022 11:32 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

not sure whether this was addressed or not...or where I should discuss the topic...but since this is a Mark Canha related thread, I figured why not here... Anyone here watch the ESPN telecast on Sunday followed by the ESPN telecast last night? It was driving me nuts on Sunday (I didn't hear the Can"YA" in-game interview, I joined in later in the broadcast apparently) hearing the ESPN dorks saying "Can-YA" repeatedly when they would talk about Mar-con-a (as Gary usually calls him)... Apparently, Mrs Mar-con-a addressed the issue since then, basically saying that ESPN was wrong...and last night ESPN admitted that Mark played them for fools (without admitting that they made fools of themselves...just stating that if he went to Lisbon, it would be Mark Can"Ya")... They asked him about the pronunciation, he gave them the the heritage/Portuguese pronunciation but said "we're 4th generation American, we don't say it like that" they said "okay, but can we use that pronunciation tonight?" and he's like "sure, but you gotta use only the last name like i'm a european soccer player. or like Bono. just "Canya"" as a goof. Even the PA announcer got in on it. It was a goof, that's it. That was pretty clear. of course, ESPN also borked Lindor's name, so..

Chad ochoseis Jul 28 2022 01:52 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

You can get any kind of food delivered to your door at about any time of day, there is a pharmacy on every block and, hey, the kids' favorite Central Park playground is just a walk away. This is why the attraction of living in Manhattan was always lost on me, even when I lived in the NYC area. "Sure, maybe $4000 a month is a little high for a 500 square foot fourth floor walkup, but look! Right over there at the corner of 66th and Amsterdam! IT'S YOUR VERY OWN DUANE FREAKIN' READE!!!"

DocTee Jul 28 2022 06:14 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

He's probably my favorite. From his progressive politics to his epicureanism (his "big league foodie" IG account) and now his embracing of the city---plus his production---what's not to like?

nymr83 Jul 28 2022 09:23 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

Chad ochoseis wrote: You can get any kind of food delivered to your door at about any time of day, there is a pharmacy on every block and, hey, the kids' favorite Central Park playground is just a walk away. This is why the attraction of living in Manhattan was always lost on me, even when I lived in the NYC area. "Sure, maybe $4000 a month is a little high for a 500 square foot fourth floor walkup, but look! Right over there at the corner of 66th and Amsterdam! IT'S YOUR VERY OWN DUANE FREAKIN' READE!!!" The food is the only part of the 5 boroughs i miss

Edgy MD Jul 28 2022 09:43 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

I miss the baseball-themed street gangs, the giant ape attacks, and the abnormally high superhero:civilian ratio. Plus, if you kept your eyes open on a Saturday afternoon, there was always a good chance you'd spot some serious ghostbusting going on, or perhaps a trio of singing sailors.

Gwreck Jul 29 2022 01:12 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

=nymr83 post_id=101412 time=1659065014 user_id=54]The food is the only part of the 5 boroughs i miss

Odd take on a message board about a team playing in Queens.

nymr83 Jul 30 2022 09:44 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

The Mets are on the same tv they have always been on and I can still go to games from New Jersey as easily as I could from Staten Island, though not from Queens, so what's to miss?

batmagadanleadoff Jul 30 2022 09:59 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

Chad ochoseis wrote: You can get any kind of food delivered to your door at about any time of day, there is a pharmacy on every block and, hey, the kids' favorite Central Park playground is just a walk away. This is why the attraction of living in Manhattan was always lost on me, even when I lived in the NYC area. "Sure, maybe $4000 a month is a little high for a 500 square foot fourth floor walkup, but look! Right over there at the corner of 66th and Amsterdam! IT'S YOUR VERY OWN DUANE FREAKIN' READE!!!" Canha's quote is an understatement. You can get pretty much anything you want within walking distance, ANYTHING -- a pair of pants, a couch, an air conditioner -- ANYTHING, not just food, which you can also get, even great food -- at like two in the morning. Obviously, the cost of living there is way higher, but I don't know about $4K a month for a 500 Sg. Ft. walkup. That sounds extremely high, even in today's market.

Chad ochoseis Jul 30 2022 10:50 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

I know, and I know the $4K was an exaggeration for a walkup studio (but not by that much). I did find it a little funny that the writer, with a chance to list three great things about living in Manhattan, picked pharmacies as #2. I think it was the writer who said that, not Canha himself. And I was really just talking about Manhattan, and particularly Manhattan below 110th St., not the five boroughs as a whole. With my girlfriend now in Astoria, I get back probably about ten times a year, and I'm glad I do. And, yay Canha for choosing the city over the burbs and taking the 7 train to work.

Gwreck Jul 30 2022 11:51 AM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

Chad ochoseis wrote: I did find it a little funny that the writer, with a chance to list three great things about living in Manhattan, picked pharmacies as #2. I think it was the writer who said that, not Canha himself. I figured it was Canha because of the reference to his little kids, for which I would guess access to a pharmacy would be quite convenient.

G-Fafif Jul 30 2022 05:19 PM Re: Mark Canha Rides Around in a Hole in the Ground

When on the road, Mark opts for a Lyft. [tweet]https://twitter.com/outtadapakmark/status/1553215534463959040[/tweet]