Last night, my son wanted to watch baseball. Fortunately, YouTube has about every game you could want to watch. For various reasons, I picked Game Three of the 2015 World Series.
What was interesting is that I never saw the telecast because I was at the game. It would not only be the first time I watched the game on TV, it would also be the first time I got to watch it with my son. From what my wife told me, he loved that game. It was great to watch it with him.
My favorite moment wasn’t him celebrating the David Wright or Curtis Granderson homeruns. It wasn’t even his the game inspired him to take out his teeball set. Surprisingly, it wasn’t even when he hit a line drive clear across the living room with him screaming “HOMERUN!” No, it was sinpler than that. It was when Lucas Duda came to bat.
My son looked up at the TV, waived and said, “Hi Duda!”
When I confirmed it was Duda by waving and saying hi to him as well, my son began saying hi to the players he remembered. At one point, I got him to scream:
I was impressed when he recognized Michael Conforto (his new favorite player) and told me he played leftfield. When I called over to my wife to let her know, her response was, “Of course he knows, you’ve been drilling it into his head.”
In any event, on what was a beautiful Spring-like day, I was never more prepared for baseball. My son is prepared too. Hopefully, he will get the chance to say, “Hi Duda” to him at Citi Field this year.
If you’re getting your child’s first haircut, yes, go to a place like Snip-its. They will give you a certificate for the first haircut along with a lock of your child’s hair. After that, never go back there again.
The next few times we went there with my son, it was a disaster. First, they put the toys they sell at the kid’s eye level. While you wait for your turn (they don’t take appointments), they keep wanting to play with the toys. To a certain extent, it’s mean to put toys right within the sight of a toddler and not let them play with them. When you finally get to your turn, the experience is less than pleasant.
For all the times we have been there, we have yet to find someone who actually listens to you when you say how you want the hair cut. Their goal is to cut the hair as quickly as possible and get to the next kid. Look, I understand. They make money with quick turnover. It just doesn’t make for the best experience.
To make matters worse, they give your child toys to play with during the haircut to help keep them quiet. Then, they have to take the toys back. Again, I understand. However, as a parent, it’s hard to take toys away from a child after they tried their best to be good and cooperate. We learned our lesson and brought him his own toys, but then we go back to the aforementioned problems in the preceding paragraph.
For this experience, you get to pay $22 plus tip. I don’t spend that much for my own haircuts.
Yesterday, we took a shot at taking him to Sport Clips. I needed my haircut as well, so my wife and I figured it was worth a shot for the two of us to try it. We figured it had to be better than another Snip-its experience. It was.
First, my son was mesmerized by the giant big screen TV playing college basketball when we entered. There was a wait, but while he was waiting, he got to watch the game. They also gave him a lollipop.
I went first while he waited with my wife. They had no problem with him coming over to take a look and talking to me.
Then it was his turn. The hairstylist talked with my wife to find out specifically how she wanted my son’s haircut. If you have children, you know by now it’s what your wife wants that matters most. The hairstylist cut his hair exactly how my wife wanted.
While the haircut was happening, my son alternated between watching the game and playing with Mater and Percy. He liked sitting in the chair like a big boy instead of being strapped in the way they do it at Snip-its. Overall, the only thing my son didn’t like was getting his hair sprayed with water:
Overall, it was a good haircut and a good experience. Furthermore, I liked the $15 price a lot better than the $22 Snip-its price. I also liked the punch card I received. After six haircuts, his next one is half-price.
On the way our the door, my son received another lollipop and was given a pencil. He said good bye to everyone. It’s difficult getting a haircut for a toddler. You’re asking them to sit still for a long time between waiting for your turn and then getting the actual haircut. Sports Clips made it a pleasant experience for my family.
With that said, if you need to get a haircut for your toddler, go to Sports Clips. It’s cheaper and a better experience.
Editor’s Note: this is not a paid advertisement. However, anytime Sports Clips, or anyone else wants to advertise, their money is welcome.
Foetunately for all of baseball, David Ortiz is retiring. Next to the Mets hopefully winning the World Series, this will be the best part of the 2016 season.
For all the “loveable” persona he has tried to create, the truth is Ortiz has always tried to be bigger than the game. No one is allowed to criticize him. Despite being given more rope and benefit of the doubt by everyone, he shows up and disrespects umpires:
It’s not just umpires. He shows up other players on the field with his antics. Look, there is a fine line between fun and showing up a pitcher. With that said, when you engage in the histrionics Ortiz engages in, he should expect and accept retaliation. Each and every homerun involves a pose, a bat flip, and a slow trot around the bases. In response, pitchers will call him out on his behavior by either speaking to the press or plunking him. Invariably, his response is either that such a player doesn’t have the right to question him or that he’s great so you have to deal with it.
If you have the audacity to call him out for his on the field behavior, which other players feel disrespects the game, he’ll attack you:
To hear Ortiz talk about it, he’s a protector of the game. He previously stated that steroid users should be suspended for a full year. There’s only one problem. Ortiz is as much the cheater as any other steroid user.
In 2009, it was revealed he tested positive for steroids under the 2003 survey testing. Ortiz was shocked . . . SHOCKED . . . that he tested positive. He was going to demand to find out what he tested positive for because he didn’t take anything impermissible. It was one of those phantom supplements that created the positive test. Ortiz was going to get to the bottom of things.
He’ll deny everything, but he has still yet to inform everyone what he took. Instead, he pleads ignorance. He says he has never tested positive since that time. By the way, neither did Alex Rodriguez, the player Ortiz wanted suspended for a year.
For all this nonsense, Ortiz, a career DH, tells everyone he should be elected to the Hall of Fame. Of course, he would say that. He’s spent his entire career letting everyone know how great he is and belittling those who disagree.
Fact is Ortiz has had a good career with many memorable moments. Moments that will forever be played. He is also a cheater. He has also shown up and disrespected his fellow players. He has shown up umpires. He has let everyone know he is bigger than the game. Thankfully, he’s leaving the game.
I’m tired of the act. I’m glad it’s almost over.
Whether you thought Major League Baseball needed a new slide rule or not, after Ruben Tejada‘s leg was broken by Chase Utley in the NLDS, a new slide rule was enacted. It specifically eliminated Utley’s previously impermissible tackle.
Actually, Utley disagrees with the notion he had anything to do with it. When questioned about the genesis of the new rule, Utley said, “From my understanding, I think we have been trying to work on this for a few years now, trying to get on the same page, and now we obviously are. I don’t think that one instance really determined anything.”
That pretty much sums it up right there.
If you’ve read my blog, you know I love Lucas Duda. Lucas Duda began the seeds of my son becoming a Mets fan. Everytime Gary Cohen called out Duda’s name on TV, he would excitedly scream out, “Duda!” As he learned more and more about the sport, he knew Duda hit homeruns and played first base:
With that in mind, I became sensitive to the criticism levied upon Duda. Some of its fair, some of its unfair. All offseason, I’ve read negative comments about Duda on Twitter and on message boards. Overall, I come away with the impression that Mets fans either don’t like or don’t appreciate Lucas Duda. Reading Ken Davidoff‘s article in the New York Post, he apparently agrees with my characterization of how Mets fans see Duda:
I had just informed Duda that he is, in my opinion, the most over-hated, under-appreciated baseball player in New York.
********
[I]n interactions with Mets fans, be they in person, via email or on Twitter, Duda frequently gets mentioned as if he’s a serious liability.
First off, we should get something clear. This is definitively not an attack on Mets fans. Davidoff is giving his impression of what fans believe based upon feedback he has received. Davidoff is in good position to do this because he has been a baseball writer in New York for quite a while. He has been a sports writer in New York since 1994. If you’ve read his columns, you will see he does engage with the fans by incorporating baseball trivia in his columns as suggested by fans. He’s active and responsive on Twitter. In short, it’s fair to say he has the pulse of the fans. His Duda column proves that out.
The two things that Davidoff raised was Duda’s streakiness and his defense. All summer when the Mets were struggling, that’s what was discussed. As for defense, we do not need to rehash the one throw that made this a topic of discussion for Mets fans all offseason. Unlike you or I, Davidoff, as a reporter, got to address these issues with Duda.
By the way, it should be noted that Davidoff focusing on these issues proves he has interacted with Mets fans. I digress.
When talking to Davidoff about these issues, I found Duda’s responses enlightening. He acknowledges his flaws, and he states that he is working on them. He also acknowledged that players do know what fans think of them whether or not they are on social media.
With that said, if you were truly blindsided by this article, and I don’t know how you could be, get out to Citi Field this year and shower Duda with praise. When he hits a cold streak, and you know he will, refrain from booing. Instead, cheer a little harder the next time his name is announced. Try to lift him up.
Personally, I love Lucas Duda for the player he is. After reading Davidoff’s column, I like Duda all the more.
I hope the article left the same impression on you. I hope it helped you appreciate Lucas Duda all the more, which was really the point of the article. If you came away with that impression, Davidoff did a great job. If you’re focused on his informed opinion that Mets fans don’t like Duda, please re-read his article because there is some great stuff in there showing why Duda is a terrific Met.
The short answer is no. A slightly longer answer is they’re not permitted to increase a suspension under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. With that said, I was pondering that question when I saw Hansel Robles agree to a two game suspension.
You know who else received a two game suspension? Chase Utley.
To put it in perspective, here are the two plays in question:
The optics of Robles’ pitch do not look good. It was a pitch by the head. He made the pitch in a game that had a number of hit batters, including Yoenis Cespedes right on the hands. The benches were warned. For his part, Robles states there was no intent. As Ron Darling points out, it was a slider that did not slide. It might’ve been because Robles tried to quick pitch the slider. Luckily, no one was hurt.
Now Utley went beyond just trying to break up a double play. He didn’t slide. He wasn’t in the baseline. As a result of his actions, he broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg. Utley forever changed Tejada’s career. For that, Utley received two games. Baseball actually tried to get him to agree to a one game suspension. Utley’s appeal of the suspension is still pending.
Think about that for a second. Whether or not you think Utley should’ve been suspended, how does it make sense for Robles to have a longer suspend io than Utley? Utley potentially altered someone’s career. He ended someone’s season. Robles had a pitch get away from him.
If you are going to say Robles was found to have done it intentionally, I disagree. However, it would raise a new question. How is throwing a ball at someone’s head only worth two games? That’s a dangerous play that should never be tolerated. To put it in perspective, Cole Hamels was suspended five games for hitting Bryce Harper in the small of his back.
These suspensions don’t make sense. They’re preposterous. If baseball really wants to protect players, they should throw the book at players who actually intend to injure players.
Because of Chase Utley, Major League Baseball has a new rule about how you can properly slide into second base. Another result of the coward‘s tackle is that the Mets will have yet another Opening Day shortstop in 2016. Since the Mets last won the World Series 30 years ago, the Mets have had twelve Opening Day shortstops. Can you name them? Good luck!
You know what’s better than rooting for a winning team? Rooting for a winning team that’s fun.
After the trade deadline, the Mets team was fun to watch. They had a certain joy while playing the game. They brought an energy to the field. It spilled over into the stands. The 2015 run was the most fun I had watching a team since 2006.
It looks like the Mets will be bringing more of the same energy to the field in 2015. Perhaps inspired by Yoenis Cespedes, Jeurys Familia has recorded his own entrance music. I hope it is as catch as Cespedes’ walk-up music:
Seriously Mets fans, we’ve heard this song plenty of times now. There is no reason for you to miss shouting, “CESPEDES” each time it’s mentioned in the song. It’s part of the fun environment the Mets players have created. Just listening to the song makes me remember all of Cespedes’ homeruns.
That’s the bar set for Familia’s entrance music. He needs to have something fans will love. He needs something that reflects how awesome he is. I can’t wait to hear it.
The more and more I think about it, 2016 is going to be a fun season.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Yoenis Cespedes‘ 2016 season isn’t a disappointment. He’s expected to break Barry Bonds (or Roger Maris‘) single season homerun record, Hack Wilson‘s single season RBI record, and find a cure for cancer. Yes, this is hyperbole, but it’s really not that far from what’s being expected of him.
After his incredible run last year, Cespedes has set the bar sky high. When he came to the Mets, he played the best baseball of his life. It was some of the best baseball anyone has ever seen. More than anything, this has been the reason why he’s had all the attention surrounding him. If Tim Teufel had these cars, it would be an amusing antidote, but it wouldn’t be the focus of each and every day this Spring.
Look, the Cespedes’ car thing has been terrific. It’s added some fun to Spring Training. We’re talking about this instead of Terry Collins leaving in Matt Harvey, David Wright‘s back, Jacob deGrom tweaking his groin, Alejandro De Aza‘s possible discontent, or Roger Bernadina having visa issues. No, the Mets are having a fun camp in large part due to Cespedes.
That’s is unless you’re John Harper of the Daily News:
Just as Mets fans were quick to turn on Harvey during the innings-limit controversy last season, citing his look-at-me tendencies, they’ll tire quickly of hearing about Cespedes’ lifestyle if he doesn’t put up big numbers.
Same goes for the clubhouse. Teammates will gladly accept Stsr behavior as long as it comes with star performance. And certainly Cespedes has earned plenty of slack in this area, having astonished his fellow Mets with his offensive exploits last summer after coming over from the Tigers on July 31.
Why are we preemptively chastising Cespedes? Keep in mind, this is the same writer that despite knowing all of the “issues” Cespedes presents, he implored the Mets to re-sign him. Now that he’s here, what’s the point of tearing him down?
Cespedes was everything the Mets thought he would be and more last year. So far, he has been everything we thought he would be this Spring Training. It makes sense that the guy with the neon yellow arm sleeve and the 52 medallion would have an epic car collection. It makes more sense that Cespedes was going to be the focal point of this team no matter what he did. Why not have some fun along the way?
Look, his season is bound to be a disappointment. His 162 game averages are “only” 30 homeruns and 103 RBI. That’s not going to be enough for some people. That’s a shame because fans wanted Cespedes here, and he wanted to be here. No matter what Cespedes does this season that should be celebrated. Instead, the Daily News is already finding ways to tear him down.
These preemptive attacks should be driven off a cliff.
Editor’s Note: this column first appeared on metsmerizedonline.com
Before my son was born, my wife and I used to like to take trips for New Year’s. Our favorite trip was in 2012 when we went to Côte d’Azur.
Part of Côte d’Azur is the principality of Monaco. To gain citizenship in Monaco, you have to be the richest of the rich. You have to keep more than €1 million in a Monaco bank at all times, and while there is no income tax, there is a VAT tax. Citizens are required to establish they spent so much money a year. Monaco will find out because they require you providing access to your personal and financial information.
None of these requirments are particularly onerous for people who wish to apply. These are the people that buy yachts because they have money to burn.
You quickly learn in Monaco the uber rich find interesting ways to flaunt how rich they are. For example, Prince Albert has his private collection of cars on display at the Exposition De Voitres Anciennes de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco. Loosely translated, this means, “Hey! I’m so rich that I have more expensive cars than I know what to do with, so come here and look at them.” There is a notice posted that the cars are a collection and not a museum. Here are some:
I was reminded of this collection seeing Yoenis Cespedes, who is making $27 million this year, showing off his car collection:
VIDEO: Here's Yoenis Cespedes arriving at Mets camp on Sunday morning — three days… https://t.co/iK2jOpAz2X pic.twitter.com/T8yoagyhXK
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) February 21, 2016
More shots of Cespedes's new three-wheel ride. Mets teammates even came out to see it. pic.twitter.com/29CkA5Srqf
— Andrew Beaton (@andrewlbeaton) February 23, 2016
Casual Wednesday. @ynscspds arrived at practice today in this custom Lamborghini. #Mets pic.twitter.com/Enhupzhvu8
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 24, 2016
Tomorrow will be Cespedes's Alfa Romero 8C Competizione. Some pics from the guy who tricked it out: pic.twitter.com/ZW0NcgMhN5
— Andrew Beaton (@andrewlbeaton) February 24, 2016
Tricked. Out. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/jVlwynRKJU
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) February 26, 2016
And here's the still photography of the sixth and — hopefully — final vehicle of Yoenis Cespedes: pic.twitter.com/Nbtk1zlYdd
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) February 27, 2016
Cowboy @ynscspds and @noahsyndergaard ride in to practice. #Metshttps://t.co/4cL6UqUzuk
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 1, 2016
By the way, in addition to these cars, Cespedes has an expensive car on loan to Wilmer Flores during Spring Training:
Yoenis Cespedes' Alfa Romeo has arrived. Wilmer Flores has been driving it. pic.twitter.com/JtFvqpQTqg
— Robert Brender (@robertbrender) February 24, 2016
It’s now apparent that Cespedes is the Prince of Citi Field, and he’s using the Port St. Lucie parking lot as his exhibition of rich and expensive cars.