Brogna Can You Spare Some Time 2022

[G-Fafif]

One day shy of ten years will be Johanniversary Night at Citi Field.

FLUSHING, N.Y., March 28, 2022 — The New York Mets today announced that the club will hold a pre-game ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of Johan Santana’s historic no-hitter on Tuesday, May 31 prior to the 7:10 pm game vs. Washington.

On June 1, 2012, Santana delivered his signature pitch, a changeup, to strike out St. Louis’ David Freese, to author the first no-hitter in franchise history after 8,019 regular season games.

Santana and his catcher that evening Josh Thole, will be honored for their historic achievement.

“I still remember how I felt that night,” said Santana, who gutted through 134 pitches. “I knew how much it meant to New York Mets fans. I was very proud to be a part of the first no-hitter and I can’t wait to celebrate with the fans on May 31. It holds a special place in my heart.”

In addition, the team announced that Santana and Thole will both participate in Old Timers’ Day on Saturday, August 27 prior to the 7:10 pm game vs. Colorado.
With one out in the seventh inning, Yadier Molina laced a line drive to left. Queens native Mike Baxter raced back and crashed violently into the wall but held onto the baseball to preserve the no-hit bid.

“I was in a zone with Josh all night,” recalled Santana. “I remember I was holding my breath before Baxter’s catch. It was amazing. He really saved me.”

https://newyorkmets.medium.com/mets-to- ... d5855d1f25

[Edgy MD]

No notion of whether Baxter will be included?

[G-Fafif]

Mike might be busy.

https://vucommodores.com/coach/mike-baxter-3/

[G-Fafif]

Can’t get much more “what’s a Met retired from the game up to?” than a check-in with David Wright as he visits St. Lucie.

https://www.mlb.com/news/david-wright-j ... g-training

[G-Fafif]

Dave Gallagher, with stories that touch on, among others, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan and Bret Saberhagen.

I have a great story about Willie Mays. I had all of that love for Willie Mays as a kid. Years later playing for the Mets, we went into San Francisco to play the Giants. Bobby Bonilla started in right field. I went in in the seventh inning for him and there was a right-handed hitter who tended to drive the ball the other way. I’m in right, so I’m ready. He did exactly what I envisioned and hit it to right. At Candlestick Park, from the foul line to the padded wall is extremely narrow. I was on a dead run, caught the ball and pulled my arm in because I knew I was gonna slam into the wall, which I did. I went down to the ground, held up the ball and jogged in because it was the last out.

The next day, I checked in with the trainers to say hello. I was about to leave when one of them said, “Hey Gally, you got a compliment from a pretty big name.” I thought they were playing with me and trying to put the bait out there. The other trainer said, “Yeah, Willie Mays came in and asked who the right fielder was.” They told him it was Bobby Bonilla. He said he knew who Bonilla was but wanted to know the guy who went in for him. They told him it was Dave Gallagher. He said, “Well tell him he’s a really good outfielder because good outfielders make hard plays look easy.” I’ll never forget that. I can’t understand how a little boy in New Jersey who idolized Willie Mays, so many years later would be complimented by that man. That doesn’t seem possible!

https://ballnine.com/2022/03/31/dave-gallagher/

[G-Fafif]

Messrs. Cespedes and Colon will join the cast of Old Timers Day 2022.

https://www.mlb.com/news/yoenis-cespede ... timers-day

[seawolf17]

It is going to be AWESOME when we then activate them for game that day.

[Edgy MD]

That's great. Colón might have been my first call.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Nothing makes you feel like an old, old man like reading that Cespedes and Bartolo are gonna be participating in a Mets old-timers game.

[Willets Point]

I thought Cespedes was still nominally active.

[Frayed Knot]

I thought Cespedes was still nominally active.

He was only occasionally active when he was active.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hope he brings his warthog, or whatever the hell that was.

Maybe Lindor and McNeil can argue about its exact species.

[G-Fafif]

Tim McCarver, who made his regular-season Mets booth debut 39 years ago today, has retired from broadcasting.

It’s now official. One of the legendary careers in baseball broadcasting — all of sportscasting, for that matter — has ended. Tim McCarver, who was the television analyst for more World Series than anyone — 24 — and a fixture on the air for decades, is retired from the business.

The acknowledgement by McCarver, who spent the final six years of his unparalleled run in the booth covering the Cardinals for what now is Bally Sports Midwest, comes three seasons after he called his last game. In the interim, he had been in limbo during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think I’m happy about it,” he said of putting down the microphone. “I think that’s the best.”

McCarver, now 80, was at his best for decades and worked for all four major American commercial broadcast networks. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox. You name it and he was on the call for the big games. His final fling on the national stage came in 2013, when he called the Cardinals-Red Sox World Series with Joe Buck — his partner for 18 years.

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/subscri ... 9049d.html

[Edgy MD]

Best analyst the Mets ever had, even when simultanteously doing play by play. I'll double down on my advocacy for his Mets HoF enshrinement.

[m8644]

McCarver seems to get a bad rep about being a "know it all", especially when he got paired with Buck in the 2nd half of his career. But in his prime, he really was tremendous in my view. The man knew his stuff, and even if you disagreed with his concept, he'd explain it in a way that would at least make you think.

Also, the amount of times that he would bring up on a Mets broadcast, an outfielder playing too deep on a weak hitting player, only for that player to drop one in front of the fielder, is truly incalcuable.

[roger_that]

McCarver seems to get a bad rep about being a "know it all".... Also, the amount of times that he would bring up on a Mets broadcast, an outfielder playing too deep on a weak hitting player, only for that player to drop one in front of the fielder, is truly incalcuable.

I seem to recall this being a constant theme with him and Strawberry in particular. Sometimes, Tim did know it all, and was willing to annoy the players by saying what he knew, which I admired no end.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'll double down on my advocacy for his Mets HoF enshrinement.

Word!

[seawolf17]

Baseball for Brain Surgeons is one of my favorite baseball books of all time. I think he gets a lot of crap because he was a big target, but I loved listening to him on games when he was with us.

[smg58]

I can't imagine Baxter wouldn't make the trip for something like this.

Colon will play in the old timers game and then start the real game and get a hit even though he's the pitcher.

I always loved McCarver and never understood the negative energy.

Is this the thread to mention that Todd Frazier announced his retirement?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I've always thought McCarver was so good at sharing what he knew that at some point, everybody learned it and he became less interesting. I also think that shameful incident with Deion Sanders sorta wounded him more than we really knew

[Willets Point]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but McCarver always annoyed the fuck out of me. The whiny, nasal voice. Talking nonstop, often about things irrelevant to what was on the field. Making a dumb joke early in the game and then constantly referring back to the dumb joke while Ralph faked a laugh just to get him to shut up. Splooging all over the place about how great the Cardinals' players were (I mean you don't have to be a homer, but you can also keep it in your pants when talking about our archenemies). I got in the habit of turning the tv volume down and listening to the radio while watching the game.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think working with Lorn Brown in 1982 put Ralph Kiner into a kind of coma, and bringing in McCarver (and short-term CPF member Steve Zabriskie) the next year brought him back to life. He made watching the Mets a lot more fun, and I think Ralph legitimately enjoyed working with him.

[G-Fafif]

Those young rascals at hot new Mets podcast National League Town addressed McCarver’s potential induction into the NYM HOF in their second episode (they were fully in favor of it).

https://www.podpage.com/national-league ... l-of-fame/

[G-Fafif]

Butch Huskey remains fond of No. 42.

https://www.mlb.com/news/butch-huskey-o ... elebration

[G-Fafif]

A hometown paper visit with Illinois boy Jay Hook.

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/2022 ... on-ny-mets