Opening Day Baseball!

Uncertainty is the only sure thing in baseball. Of course, you could say the same about other sports, and life in general.

– Mark Herrmann, "Opening Pitch"

Annalee just called. She and her friend Sal drove in to Citi Field to see the Mets opening day game. Baseball season has arrived! As New Yorkers, we'll root for the Yankees when they play, and as baseball fans we'll enjoy a good game between any two teams, but there's something about rooting for the underdog, so the Mets are "our" team. Without a tv, we listen to the games on our radio. And, since many games start at 7:10 p.m., we tend to eat dinner while listening to the Mets. We've been known to get lost on our way to or from a Homegrown String Band performance, too, because of a Mets game. One time, after we finished a show in New Jersey, Rick was only half reading our driving directions while listening to a close and exciting game. We ended up driving close to 40 minutes in the wrong direction before I realized we were heading the wrong way. After that, I told him he had to read the directions carefully before turning on a game in the car ever again. (I do most of the driving, Rick is the navigator.) 

Today the Mets are playing the Atlanta Braves, with Johan Santana the starting pitcher. Last time I saw him pitch in person, before his injury and subsequent surgery, I was bored. It was a pitcher's game—neither he nor the other team's pitcher allowed any runs. Sheesh! Rick thought it was great, Santana was awesome (okay, I can agree with that), but I like a little action. Like the time the radio announcer accused them of playing like the Three Stooges: players were caught between bases, more than one runner was trying to get to the same base, balls were dropped or thrown in the wrong driection, runners lost shoes . . . It was a comedy routine. Stuff like that. Or they can win—which, I admit, is really better—if they do it by coming from behind in a spectacular finish. Now, that's exciting. I guess I'm not a true baseball fan. I want to be entertained and amused, or thrilled by the incredible feat. Rick and Annalee, though, they know stats.

It's supposedly going to hit 54º sometime this afternoon, but at the moment it's chilly and very very windy. And Annalee and Sal are sitting in the upper deck somewhere, where the wind will be worse. But at least it's sunny. Hopefully they'll manage to stay warm.

I tried to think of something to cook in honor of opening day baseball, but figured it was an afternoon game so we could eat leftovers for lunch while we listened. Instead, I made use of the bright sunny day and put the solar oven outside and got a pot of tomato sauce going. We'll have homemade sourdough bread (which is rising as I type), and the solar cooked sauce on top of some pasta. After stadium hot dogs, Annalee might actually appreciate coming home to this dinner anyway.

Meantime, let's go Mets!!!

P.S. Yes!! The game just ended and the Mets won 1-0. I just got off the phone with my mom and it brought to mind the first time Rick & I brought the girls to see the Mets play. August 22, 2006, just days before my dad died. Rick & I hadn't been to a game in 25 years and Annalee thought it would be nice to buy Rick tickets as a Father's Day present. Little did we know my dad's cancer would spread, so fast throughout his body, that by August it was uncertain if we'd be able to get to the game. My mom cared for my dad at home the whole time, and we drove back and forth and slept over to help. By mid-August we couldn't believe my dad was hanging in there, he was so weak. On August 22, we stopped by and decided to go ahead to the game. It was the most awesomely exciting game and a much needed break from so much sadness. The Mets came from behind to win against the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the 9th with a homerun by Carlos Beltran. We went to games three more times that season, including infamous game 7 of the NL championship. They lost, but Endy Chavez's amazing catch right at the wall where it said "the strength to be there" felt almost personal. Annalee has a photo of that catch hanging on her wall. And I guess that's one reason I'm a Mets fan.