Fri AM BRB (4-9-21) Walk-Off on the Low Road
This Day in Music (4-9-1969)
Bob Dylan shocks fans with the release of his ninth album, Nashville Skyline, a straight country album sung in a new voice. Despite the change, the album went on to be one of Dylan’s most commercially successful records.
Win by any means necessary. That was the agenda for Michael Conforto and the New York Mets on Thursday as the team and new owner Steve Cohen welcomed fans back to Citi Field with a controversial 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. The controversy came on the last pitch of the ballgame, as Conforto stuck his elbow over the plate with the bases loaded to take one for the team and, quite literally, walk the game off. Clearly, as even the Mets broadcasters would tell you, home plate umpire Ron Kulpa should have ruled the 1-2 pitch from Anthony Bass a strike, and therefore an inning-ending strikeout. Conforto’s reach job was one of the most blatant I’ve ever seen in the game, but I also truthfully believe that you can’t fault a guy for trying. On a day when baseballs used by reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer were sent to MLB for investigation, it’s clear that the name of the game in baseball is to win any way you can. The sport has long been about which team can earn the edge in gamesmanship, just as much as the talent on the field. Whether it be pine tar, PED’s, trash cans or mud balls, the game has a long history of promoting the attitude that if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying. How often do fans scream in such situations for a player to lean into it, or take one for the team? Hard to fault Conforto for taking the chance, as this win will look the same in the standings as any other. It’s fairly easy, though, to fault the umpiring crew for blatantly blowing the call. In the days where talk persists of robotic umpires, the analog crews are not helping their cause by making us fans ask what the hell they’re even there for…Overshadowed by the game-ending hysteria was a quality Mets debut from starter Taijuan Walker. The new acquisition provided the Mets six quality innings on their home opener, striking out four and holding the Marlins to two runs (we’ve already learned how valuable that was). Also somewhat buried by the game-ending festivities was the clutch, game-tying home run by Jeff McNeil to lead off the ninth inning. McNeil had not recorded a hit all season until depositing Bass’ 3-1 offering deep into the right field seats to make himself a hero on his 29th birthday.
Reinforcements were delivered to the New York Islanders this week as Lou Lamoriello struck a deal with his empire of old, the New Jersey Devils, sending 2021 first-round pick, a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick and young forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst across the river in exchange for veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. While giving up a first round pick for either player is a dear price to pay, the addition of both players likely outweighs any pick in the 20s the Islanders may end up with. Both players made their Islanders debut’s last night, and while neither recorded a point in the 3-2 shootout victory over the Flyers, both showed an ability to adapt well to the Islanders brand of hockey. Though the Islanders did blow the dreaded two-goal lead Thursday night, the team never panicked, shutting Philly down in the third period before Ilya Sorokin slammed the door shut on every Flyers opportunity in the shootout. The win was the Islanders fourth in a row, and moved the team back into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division.
The Rangers were unable to keep the momentum of their eight goal outburst on Tuesday, falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. While the Penguins had every right to come out and drown the Rangers in the first period as a means of exacting revenge for Tuesday’s beatdown, it cannot be overlooked that the Rangers can have a tendency to come out a little flat. Two (was it three?) missed opportunities at wide-open nets stopped the Blueshirts from keeping pace with the Penguins, who seemed to turn every Rangers missed-opportunity into one of their own. A game like Thursday’s is the harsh reminder of where the Rangers currently stand in their rebuilding process. Yes, there will still be plenty of occasions where the Rangers look like one of the best offensive teams in the league. Based on talent alone, this is a team that’s going to play well over its head at times, causing fans to believe in bigger and better things. Unfortunately, it seems like for this season, there will still be as many nights where the team looks as if it’s in over its head. With 17 games to go and eight points to make up, it doesn’t seem likely that the Rangers will be stealing fourth place any time soon.