Author Archives: Luke Lowry

About Luke Lowry

You know me, You love me, You listen to my open's and think, "That's a damn fine open."

Hope You Guys Like Hockey

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With football season ending prematurely and basketball season never starting, it’s looking like hockey will be the only thing to watch this winter. That is a sad sentiment, considering that watching hockey on tv is not exactly great theater.

And yet, we trudge on. We participate in half hearted discussions about the Cowboys remaining schedule and JR Smiths struggles to find his pot, I mean his shot. We all know JR has no problem finding the former.

All the while, we know what really interests us. It’s questions like, who got non-tendered? What’s the latest with the posting system in japan? And who’s gonna be the backup catcher? You know, the important stuff.

So what does it all mean? It means that Baseball still reigns supreme. That going to a New York Baseball website in December IS a good use of your time. And that subscribing to Big Apple Baseball’s podcast on iTunes is exactly what makes you a winner.  So go out there and win the day, cause you’re part of the Big Apple Baseball Community, and we’re the biggest bunch of winners on the intraweb.

 

What Was Better Shea Or Citi?

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Image provided by bloggingmets.com

Image provided by bloggingmets.com

So I think most people would think Citi, right off the bat. They would think, how can a place nicknamed “shit-hole Shea” be better than Citi field, or shitty field as I like to call it. First off a note to the Mets. Stop calling your stadiums names that can so easily be turned into something shitty. But more to the point, I think Shea was a much better place to watch a baseball game.

Was it a better place to get high-end BBQ, burgers and sushi? No. Better place to enjoy the game from the comfort of an indoor restaurant/club? No. Better place to not wait forever to pee? No. But Shea was the better place to watch and enjoy the on-field product, the game.

Shea Stadium crowds cheered, yelled, chanted and generally acted like they were at a ballgame. Citi Field crowds are spread so thin that the cheering is minimal. The fans are either on line for one of the 100 food options, or in a semi-private club, or they’re standing behind seats that are better than their own, or they’re walking around and taking in all the non-baseball things to do. The game at Citi has become secondary.

Whatever the reasons, fans are not in their seats and are not cheering nearly the same way they were at Shea. Now, I dont think the people have changed. The same ticket holders in 08 at Shea are, for the most part, the same ticket holders today. Yet, the feel of the ballpark is drastically different.

This isnt to say all mets fans dont cheer anymore, the 7line army certainly does, as do other pockets of fans. But as a whole, Citi does not rock the way Shea did. I’m sure part of it has to do with the fact that the Mets themselves havent been nearly as good since leaving Shea, and if/when they get good again maybe Citi will rock too (the atmosphere was pretty good for the All-Star Game).

But for the time being, it’s pretty cut and dry. Shea, although it lacked in ammenities, was the better place to watch a ballgame.

Deep Thoughts By Luke Lowry

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What to write?.. That is the questione’… As I sit here, in late October and watch a very memorable World Series, I can’t help but imagine how cool it’d be if the Mets were in it. I can see it now. David Wright playing the David Ortiz role, hitting .750. Game 6 being the hottest ticket in Mets history. And hey look over there, it’s Cowbell man saying he needs me to get the crowd pumped up. Ok Cowbell man, l can do it. Whats that? This isn’t real and I should just run blindly into the next paragraph without a segue.

I’ve never gotten to truly enjoy a Mets World Series. In ’86 I was 3 and in 2000 I was a senior in high school and lets just say I was a little preoccupied with other things (like being a punk and general horrible person, apologies to Laura Nealon. More on my horribleness in columns to come) In ’06 I was all in, was at Shea for Endy’s catch in game 7, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now, if this group of young Mets, plus whatever reinforcements Sandy Alderson brings in, can get to a World Series. What a wonderful world it would be. Now I don’t claim to be an A student. Sorry, got side-tracked there, just watched Animal House. So, where was I… Right, so I’m not an A student. Whoops, need to go back further. Oh yeah, the Mets and the World Series. Now that’s a combo that does not deserve to be put on double secret probation.

Top Reasons Yankee Fans Should Be Pessimistic Heading Into 2014

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1) Younger Pitching Staff

This was Chris’ first reason for off-season optimism. but with youth comes inexperience and inconsistency. Even if we give Yankee fans Nova (which, for what will now be expected of him, will not be a gimme), that still leaves questions abound about CC, Pineda, Phelps and whoever else they’re gonna get to try and put together a respectable starting rotation. If you ask me this is more of a reason to be pessimistic than optimistic. But that’s just me, a bitter Mets fan.

2) A Full Year of Soriano

Once again I’m piggy-backing off Chris’ second reason for “optimism” cause i just couldn’t disagree more. And i don’t care if its turns into some spirited and engaging debate that the readers just can’t get enough of. Fuck that noise.

With a full year to watch Alfonso Soriano, Yankee fans will see all his warts rise to the surface. The very same warts that made the Cubs deem a trade, in which they receive “uber-prospect” Corey Black AND pay the Yanks roughly 12 million dollars just so they didn’t have to see Soriano’s face again, a good move. Just you watch, his defense will be worse, his average will be lower and thus this love that Yankee fans now have will dissipate. Just you watch

 

3) No Mo’ Mo

Fans of the Evil Empire will tell you they’re not at all worried about replacing Mariano because Robertson is ready to step up, and they’ll tell you this with a straight face. I know, but before you call them all words that you cant take back, just sit back, take a sip of your favorite cocktail and remind yourself they don’t know any better. Their smugness knows no bounds. All they now is winning and they think its so easy. Lose the best closer in history? Just put in David Robertson and everything will be fine, because you’re the Yankees. Sorry you brain-dead Bronxonians but it will not be that easy. You will quickly come to find that life without Mo is not so lovely. And no, I will not be giving stats to back up my argument. All I need is the law of averages. Your ninth inning cant be that rosy forever.

Top 5 Reasons Mets Fans Should Be Optimisitc Heading Into 2014

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1) The progression of Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler was 7-5 with a 3.42 era and a 1.36 whip. But a met fans optimism doesn’t come from the stats alone. For that, you need to just watch him. His pure “stuff” is undeniable. Although he seemed to be a little too jacked up at times early, one assumes that will continue to decrease over time. With Harvey now officially out, Wheeler has a huge opportunity to take the reigns of this pitching staff and this is one mets fan who believes he can.

 

2) The emergence of Eric Young Jr and Lagares

When you hear people talk about these two the consensus seems to be, the Mets have a starter in the outfield in Lagares and a good 4th outfielder in EYJ. I think its the other way around. Lagares hit .242 with 4 homers, 35 runs scored, 34 RBI and 6 steals in 421 plate appearances. EYJ hit .251 with 1 homer, 48 runs scored, 26 RBI and 38 steals (which tied him for the most steals in the NL) in 418 plate appearances. I’d go with the guy who is at least elite at one thing than the guy who is average (at best) at multiple things, and the Mets need speed somewhere in this lineup.  Now yes, Lagares is 24 years old compared to EYJ’s 28 but besides that, I think the edge goes to EYJ. The reason for optimism here is the fact that we are even having this conversation after how bad our outfield prospects looked going into 2013, and that we fell, decently backwards, into these answers.

 

3) The questions of d’Arnaud, Syndergaard and Montero

With backwards upside down lowercase p ‘Arnaud, you just gotta hope all the scouts that raved about him and called him the best catching prospect in the game weren’t wrong. Because there wasn’t much, as fans, to hang your hat on with his 2013 performance. As far as Syndergaard and Montero you’re still going on what you hear from the “experts”, but what you’re hearing is that they have a chance to be special. Baseball America ranks Syndergaard as the top pitcher in the Eastern League(aa), and behind only Xander Bogaerts and Miguel Sano overall. Montero came in at 13 on that list. With both expected to make their major league debut next year, joining d’Arnaud on the Major League level, these three are certainly something for Mets fans to look forward to next year.

 

4) The promise from ownership that money will be spent this off-season

Alright this is the off-season that we’ve been told the purse strings will begin to open again, and the Mets can start to bring in free agents once more, like George Foster and Bobby Bonilla and Vince Coleman and Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar and Kaz Matsui and Jason Bay and the list goes on. Oh joy, NOW the Mets will be good because were going to sign  some free agents from this great class that includes guys, who you just know are going to earn every dollar of their contract,  like Ellsbury, Choo and, dare I say, Beltran. Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a column about optimism?

 

5) The fact that you can still Tailgate and park for free

Although the Willets Point Development plan has been approved, with 3 billion dollars being earmarked from the City for the retail, hotel, and residential mega-plan, we Met fans still have sometime before the gentrification onslaught begins. What does that mean for me? Free parking & Tailgating will not be going away in 2014. How long it will be around after that? Its hard to say. But for at least one more year Mets games will still be one of the better deals in NYC for your entertainment buck, for no other reason than the free parking. (If you know where to look)