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ABOUT US

Greg Prince and Jason Fry
Faith and Fear in Flushing made its debut on Feb. 16, 2005, the brainchild of two longtime friends and lifelong Met fans.

Greg Prince discovered the Mets when he was 6, during the magical summer of 1969. He is a Long Island-based writer, editor and communications consultant. Contact him here.

Jason Fry is a Brooklyn writer whose first memories include his mom leaping up and down cheering for Rusty Staub. Check out his other writing here.

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The View From the Crater

The Braves beat the Mets, 4-2. Wilmer Flores short-circuited an inning by ill-advisedly trying to take second on a little bobble in center by Ronald Acuna Jr. He was safe, giving the Mets runners on second and third with one out, until the umps huddled and ruled he was in fact out, leaving the Mets with a bad feeling about things. (This ticky-tack stuff isn’t what replay was made for, but that’s a complaint for a more meaningful time.)

The Mets staged a little uprising in the ninth: Todd Frazier almost stroked a double down the line, but it landed a few inches foul and then he struck out. Jeff McNeil almost bounced a ball off the warning track, but this isn’t Vegas and Ender Inciarte was lurking in the vicinity, and it was an out. Kevin Plawecki almost worked a two-ball count, but the ump decided the strike zone could use a little widening, and that was that.

If I’d told you the above when the Mets were 11-1, you might have groaned and stamped a foot, because that sounds like a bad loss, doesn’t it? Of course a lot has happened since then, with recent installments of A Lot Happening including the Mets giving up 25 runs, which was embarrassing, and then losing to fucking Tommy Milone, which I’d argue was worse.

The Braves are somehow really good, far earlier than we would have expected, let alone liked, and battling for first-place with the Phillies — the Phillies! The Mets, meanwhile, are viewing the proceedings from deep inside a crater of their own making. They’re a tire fire and a tired farce, which means losing by two in a humdrum game on a sweltering night barely moves the needle these days.

The Mets have been garbage for months, and now the calendar has caught up with them. Whatever’s hanging on your wall or adorning your lock screen may say August, but if you’re a baseball fan you know better than that. It’s Garbage Time, where all blue and orange actors are in supporting roles, no game means much of anything, and no statistics are to be trusted.

* * *

Your blogger is off for an eight-day midwestern swing that will take him through six states and five ballparks, four of them new: I’m adding Minnesota, Milwaukee, the White Sox and Cincinnati to my roster of parks visited, with Emily’s first trip to Wrigley Field tossed in for obvious reasons. Field reports to come; in the meantime, be nice to Greg, who’s being admirably cheerful about being left in the wreckage.

9 comments to The View From the Crater

  • Matt from DE

    Safe travels, Jason, and enjoy watching legitimate baseball!

  • NostraDennis

    I long for the days of happy recaps, Jason. Hope you can provide some on your road trip. Travel safely.

  • Jacobs27

    Wilmer’s well-documented lack of speed notwithstanding, I think it was the right play trying to take the extra base there. Wilmer’s real head-shaking moment was his high throw to second when they had Acuna picked off in the 3rd. I’m having unhappy flashbacks to Little League.

  • LeClerc

    Wilmer is a good hitter and a good guy.

    He’s a lumbering, bumbling base-runner.

    His defensive infield play is A-ball level.

    Wherever you put him the ball will find him.

  • gil

    The pop up to Pleweki is your 2018 Mets season, in one play.

    Safe travels!

  • Daniel Hall

    They said Rick Ankiel wants to make a return to baseball as a pitcher. Boy do I know which team will be hot on his heels!

  • Since64

    Mets baseball is certainly nothing to be proud of these days but let’s take a look at yesterdays scores; Boston 15 NY 7; Tex 17 Bal 8; LAD 21 Milw 5; We’re not the only ones giving up a lot of runs. Some of these teams are quite good as well. It’s just one of those things that happens. For us something more to baste ourselves with.
    I expect to see an average of 3 runs a game. If our pitchers can hold em to that or less we can win. Who can step up?
    Have a good trip Jason. We’ll be here when you get back..

  • Bob

    “in the meantime, be nice to Greg, who’s being admirably cheerful about being left in the wreckage.”

    Perfect–That says it all–wreckage.

    Enjoy the trip (away from the “wreckage”) Jason/Family!

    Hang in there Greg-I keep thinking it can’t get much worse–just watched DeGrom throw another gem and get L.
    WOW–still getting worse…
    Bob-Met Fan since Polo Grounds-1963

  • Orange and blue through and through

    “Admirably cheerful about being left in the wreckage.” I laughed my ass off at that! Have a good time in the heartland and be safe.