Old Time Family Baseball

One of my favorite parts about baseball is its relentless motion forward. With a game played every day during summer, there is no time to reflect on the past. The only way to be successful in the game is to roll with the punches—never getting too excited or too frustrated by hot or cold streaks. It’s something I never could do even as Little Leaguer, becoming flushed with embarrassment after every (and there were many) balls I dropped.

That perpetual motion is also why I love game recaps. They are a way to capture and examine crucial moments that are rendered moot almost as soon as their written. Compared to football and basketball, baseball is like an enormous tome with small references being left in the margins that only the most patient and observant of followers will pick up on.

With that said, let’s examine the March 7, 2006 issue of the New York Post and see what was so damn captivating.

Do you remember when Paul Lo Duca was a giant story and his cheating scandal rocked the Mets? 2006 already seems so quaint. But what did the sports page hold within:

• After the Yankees defeated the Orioles 6-1 behind Jaret Wright’s six innings of one run, five hit, four walk baseball, this was the quote that opened the article:

“Jaret Wright’s heart is so big, you need a wheelbarrow to lug it around.”

And this one closed it:

“Yesterday, [Wright] was able to do it thanks to a fastball, slider, curveball, and very big heart.”

If you had never seen a human being, you’d think the heart was a gigantic organ that rested on the outside of the body. Wright used that heart to finish the year with a 4.47 ERA, good for a 101 ERA+.

• This was also the day after David Wright signed his $55 million contract to stay with the Mets. If you’re a fan of the Flushing Nine, you may want to skip ahead. Said now-Marlin Jose Reyes:

“I said congratulations to him already. I said, ‘we’re going to be here for a long time now.’ I’m happy for him, and everybody’s happy here.”

It gets even more depressing in the Joel Sherman companion piece. Writing about the confidence that Omar Minaya has instilled in the fanbase, Sherman writes that Mets fans can:

“…invest fully and emotionally into a team that finally gets it…The ownership has embraced [Minaya’s] vision, whether that means paying top dollar on the international market to sign a Fernando Martinez or the free-agent market to land a Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran or to take care of Reyes and Wright, players years from free agency.”

Yikes. The Wilpons are broke after investing heavily in Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme; Fernando Martinez was just claimed on waivers by the Astros; Pedro Martinez was injured throughout his time with the Mets; Carlos Beltran was hated for some reason despite more than earning his paycheck; Jose Reyes is gone after winning a batting title; and David Wright hasn’t posted a .900+ OPS since 2008.

Sherman continues:

“The Mets are on one big winning streak this season from dominating their division to starting their own TV network to beginning the building process on their new stadium to, now, these signings. Reyes, Wright and Beltran form the kind of long-term nucleus that promises contention in Flushing right into the opening of the new facility in 2009 and beyond.”

Wins for the Mets since 2006: 97 (lost NLCS), 88 (finished 2nd), 89 (2nd), 70 (4th), 79 (4th), and 77 (4th).

More from around baseball:

• Greg Norton hit a solo home run in the 10th inning to help the Rays beat the Red Sox 7-6. It would be one of a career-high 17 for Norton despite getting only 335 at-bats.
• Wilfredo Ledezma struck out five batters in 5.2 shutout innings against the Indians after making the start for Justin Verlander. Ledezma has always been able to strike batters out, averaging 9.4/9 in his minor league career, but has never been able to cut it in the Major Leagues. Playing for seven teams in his career, Ledezma is 15-25 with a 5.40 ERA.
• The Twins defeated the Royals 11-5 behind 22 hits, five coming from Jason Bartlett. Seven of the hits came off of Joe Nelson in his one inning of work.
• Frank Thomas homered and drove in four runs A’s in their 7-6 victory over Seattle. The Big Hurt now has a beer. That’s all.
• Jeff Suppan struck out seven Brewers in 7.1 innings of four hit ball. Perhaps it was this game that got Milwaukee to hand over a four year contract for the then-31 year old starter.

If anyone has old newspapers they are about to throw out, I would love to take them off your hands and do this again. Email me at oldtimefamilybaseball@gmail.com

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