The Half-Assed Fan

• Sorry for the late notice folks…taking a short hiatus. Returning in a few days. #

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Sorry for the late notice folks…taking a couple days of hiatus, but will return in full force next week.

• Top of the 8th when I’m back, and 6-4 Nats! #
• Game going well, though I’m having a few issues with twitter. #

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• Johnson, 2 run homer. Sutton very excited. 4th inning. #
• Lannan just struck out number 10. He’s looking great tonight. #
• Stretch fact: Apr 17, 1964 the Mets played first game at Shea and lost to the Pirates. #
• One run basehit for the Mets. Tied. Wouldn’t be this way if Belliard hadn’t blown an easy grounder 2 batters ago. Rauch pitching. #
• Out of the inning on a nice pitch by Rauch. Still, it’s tied and I think most Nats fans are finding it hard to forgive Belliard. #
• Man in scoring position and Rauch gets Beltran to swing at breaker. Extra innings. #
• Belliard just snagged a line drive to end the inning, maybe redeeming himself, assuming we win. #
• Bottom of the 14th, 3-2 Mets. Scored on a wild pitch by Hanrahan. #
• Game started. Best team in the league. I’m hopeful, but not optimistic. #
• 1-0 nats! #
• Wow. Inning ends at 3-0 nats! #
• Wow. Inning ended 3-0 in the nats favor. #

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• Kearns: One run homer. It looked pretty, too. #
• Reyes’ first home run of the year ties it up in the bottom of the 5th. #
• Beltran. Another solo homer. #
• Sorry, Beltran’s was a 2-run homer. #
• 7th inning stretch. Stretch interesting fact of the game: Nats have left 7 stranded tonight. #
• Cordero’s throwing…he’s not looking great though. #
• And that’s it. 2-5 Mets. #
• Bottom of the first, 0-1 mets. #

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Uh, who is this kid? Well, apparantly, he was called up after about 12 years in AAA for his first game as a Nat tonight. (Update: I’m not sure the 12 years were consecutive…he was obviously a Yankee at some point.) Anyone notice how into the game he was? All through extra innings, I’m looking forward watching the guy catch and bat because he…wait for it…cares! Not to mention that awesome throw to second to catch the steal in the 11th…possibly the best throw by a catcher this season.

Nieves’ enthusasim stands in stark contrast to what I saw from many other team members the whole night–apathy. Guzman’s lack of interest, Belliard’s phoned-in performance, and Harris’ general strange demeanor during the entire night spoke of low morale and clubhouse apathy. Jim Leyland might’ve called clubhouse morale a “bullshit” concept, but it’s there, and it brings an entire team down.

And, it frustrates me, as a fan. I want to see these guys running, hustling, and getting plays turned around. I don’t even care if the plays aren’t that good, but don’t walk around in a city (DC, not NYC) where you have universal love and new ballpark with a pissed off look on your face. Guys like Nieves and Lannan deserve better than that.

Man of steel.

We don’t need no stinkin’ facial expressions around here.

I often ask myself what Bill Campbell is talking about. He just said Mobile, Alabama is home of the original Mardi Gras. This is one of those times.

A quick google reveals nothing. Anybody got any ideas? Please? I’m from Alabama, and I have a very hard time believing this…

St. Claire just came out to have a chat with Rivera. Don Sutton says, “Somewhere in there the word ‘fastball’ was said twice. That was all I could pick up. Oh, and “job.’”

Hah. Ya think?

All night, MASN’s been putting Lannan’s family onscreen. And what a night they must be having. Lannan’s performance has been incredible, and the last battle between him, Wright at bat and Reyes on first was one of those reasons baseball is a great American tradition. Reyes tried to steal second an uncountable number of times through two batters, the first of which he might’ve succeeded but for an odd call when the bat hit the catcher’s glove as he tried to throw to second. What was amazing was that you could see Reyes and Lannan watching each other, trying to find the “tell,” and Wright doing all he could to act as the foil and get Reyes to second.

All three players deserve props. Reyes might’ve had the drop on Lannan multiple times, but just as many times, Lannan was just a likely to end the inning with an out at second. They all knew it, and the tension was great.