Skid's 2014 Dream Season

APRIL 18th - GAME #16 vs Atlanta Braves (10-5)
Jon Niese (0-1) goes against Aaron Harang (2-1) as the Mets return home to Citi to face the Braves. Niese will face Braves slugger Jason Heyward for the first time since breaking his jaw with a fastball last Aug 21st. The Mets are coming off a 6-3 road trip that included two out of three from the Braves in Atlanta. During the 3 game sweep of Arizona, Eric Young went 6 for 12 with five runs scored and three steals. Chris Young is expected to return Friday after being out with a quadriceps injury. The Mets recalled right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka from Triple-A Las Vegas. I watched him pitch 7 impressive shutout innings against Fresno last Saturday. The game was won by a 10th inning home run by Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was then called up when Juan Lagares went on the DL with a hamstring injury.

8-8

Another weak effort on offense at home for the Mets. Mets cast off Aaron Harang threw seven no hit innings before leaving to let the bullpen give up only a two out single to David Wright in the eighth. Perhaps the lack of belief in Harang by Mets management after his poor showing last September for New York gave Aaron some motivation on the mound. Perhaps the Mets were stymied by the loss of a popular clubhouse player traded before the game. Perhaps they just suck at home.

This game was sort of watched on my phone. Saw the bottom of the first and second innings during the last 15 minutes of work and the drive home (listened to Gary, Ron, & Keith in the car). When asked about the Mets by my mother-in-law during pizza, I responded by bringing up the game on my Droid AtBat app and seeing that there were no Mets hits after six innings. I missed the only Mets highlight - David Wright's single in the eighth while eating desert at the yogurt shop. The game ended while I finished off a rocky road/vanilla cake with sour gummy worms. With the in-laws visiting for Easter, I did not bother to replay the game in full. I'll watch the pregame chat by the SNY crew for their perspective on the bound to happen sooner or later trade of Ike Davis.

Around the first inning I got a text from my good friend (and fellow Mets fan) Mike that simply read "Ike's a pirate. Dan should be happy". I immediately knew the day I was dreading was here. All those Ike Davis cards I had been collecting were now going to the EX-Mets box. The Ike bobble head figure will end up in the garage with the Beltran, Reyes, Wagner, Martinez & Delgado McFarlane statues. Man, I was rooting for Ike to be a great Met after seeing him hit in spring training in 2010. To quote ESPN tonight: "Davis was a first-round draft pick by the Mets, chosen No. 18 overall in 2008 out of Arizona State. He made his major-league debut nearly four years to the day -- April 19, 2010 -- and batted .264 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs his rookie year."

And it was almost all downhill from there. Ankle injury, Valley Fever, AAA Demotion, batting below the Mendoza line. I had hoped for the best but got the worst. Ike's pinch hit bottom of the ninth grand slam to beat the Reds on April 5th will be replayed as a career highlight for me. The earlier text referred to my brother Dan, a Pirates fan longer than I've been a Mets fan. I hope Ike does well in Pittsburgh. Not really. Ike is dead to me. I no longer like Ike. At least he's not a Yankee like Mr. Beltran. Mr. Gooden, Mr. Strawberry, Mr. Orosco, Mr. Cone. Mr. Leiter, Mr. Ventura, Mr. Olerud.

Not yet.