A Load of BS

  They say a picture is worth a thousand words. To quote a dearly departed songwriter, if you could read my mind, what a tale my thoughts could tell.  The catch is I don't remember some of the finer details, nor do I want to.  The photo you see above here was the last picture taken from what would become my last author signing event. I learned from my friends and colleagues to leave a piece of your work behind as a way to thank the hotel staff for their hospitality.  I didn't know it at the time, but maybe this was a case of foreshadowing. I always loved using that tool in my stories. I'm a lifelong pro wrestling fan. When I found this photo yesterday, the first thought that popped into my head was that of a veteran grappler ceremoniously taking off his boots and leaving them in the ring. This is a time-honored tradition and a clear sign that he has just competed in his final bout.  I didn't realize it until last night. This photo symbolizes me leaving my boots ...

As a baseball fan, the beginning of every new year brings the anticipation of the announcement of a new Hall of Fame class. For the past few years, I have yearned for that moment when Mike Piazza's name is called. Since 2013, yours truly, along with other Mets fans, have cried foul as rumors and innuendo have kept Piazza from his rightful place amongst the game's immortals. It appears that, finally, the haters have been swayed by a lack of proof and an infusion of common sense. As reported via social media, Piazza has about 90% of the support of all writers on Twitter. There's a good chance that, at this time tomorrow, he will be among the newest inductees at Cooperstown. I will be amongst the many basking in the glory as the first ever Mets position player is enshrined. I will watch from my home, avoiding the annual apocalypse that overtakes Otsego County. I shall bide my time until my wife and I travel to upstate New York a few weeks later to prostrate in front of Mr....

Happy Canada Day to my friends up north and Happy Bobby Bonilla Day  to  all you Mets fans! Yes, indeed. It’s Christmas come early once again for Bobby Bo. As you are undoubtedly aware, today is the day that Bobby Bonilla gets his annual deferred salary of $1.19 million from the New York Mets. It all started during the 1999 playoffs when he and Ricky Henderson had the audacity to play cards in the clubhouse during a game that was still in progress. The Mets decided to cut bait after the season, presumably to give Bonilla time to hone his skills for the World Series of Poker. Bobby Bo was still owed $5.9 million on his contract. Rather than reward him for his sheer lack of interest in baseball-related activities, the Mets, in their infinite wisdom, agreed to defer his payment ten years.  This agreement also factored in an annual interest rate of 8%. Thus, the Mets  have sent Bonilla a check for $1,193,248.20 every year since 2010. They could have ju...

Well, look at what the cat coughed up! Keith Hernandez calling the Mets games in San Diego this weekend has made me recall his lowest, and most bigoted, moment as a broadcaster. Once upon a time, there was a massage therapist named Kelly Calabrese, who was essentially a de facto assistant trainer for the Padres. Trainers are, of course, allowed to be in the dugout. The problem was somebody forgot to tell Keith... "Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."... "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout..." This created quite a stir, which led to a swift yet awkward on-air apology by the former Met. In a bizarre and ironic twist, it was then-Padres CEO Sandy Alderson who fired the loudest shot .... "The San Diego Padres are disappointed in the remarks of Keith Hernandez on a Mets telecast ...

For those of you who have seen the film A Million Ways To Die In the West , you may recognize this supporting character. No spoilers here, but the actor's name is Evan Jones... or is it?? Maybe THIS is what Lucas Duda did during the off-season...

I’m requesting feedback from any and all Disneyphiles because I'm torn on something. Today is the Official Grand Opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which happens to coincide with the 24-Hour “Rock Your Disney Side” Event (aka #Disney24) It seems like in today’s Walt Disney World, there’s always some kind of themed event taking place. From Disney24 to Star Wars Weekend to Dapper Day, from Flower and Garden to Food and Wine, there’s always some kind of special promotion.   My question to you – Is this really necessary? I mean, we’re not talking about a struggling baseball team that needs to fill the park by giving away bobbleheads. (*cough*METS*cough*) This is WALT DISNEY WORLD!!! They make money hand over fist without all those bells and whistles. When I was a kid, the only excuse I needed to go to the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT Center (Epcot) was ‘Because it’s the Magic Kingdom and/or EPCOT Center.’   For me, the special event was the actual venue itself, with all the...

Very simple. You take Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Eric Young Jr., Juan Lagares, Jose Valverde and David Wright to a science lab. Create a mutant freak with all five tools - Murphy's hitting, Duda's power, Young's speed, Lagares' glove and Valverde's arm - with Wright's heart and leadership. Then, clone it five times. The Mets now have a playoff team.

Tonight, Major League Baseball went back in time and brought 46,121 fans to Montreal, Quebec. They came to see an exhibition game that felt more like a playoff game between Canada's team, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Montreal Expos' most celebrated brothers, the New York Mets. Tonight was Opening Day 10 years too late in a city that deserved a championship in 1994, and deserved anything but what it got ten years later. Now, 20 years removed from their glorious dream season that wasn't, Major League Baseball came back to pay tribute. They returned to the scene of the crime, two years tardy for the late Gary Carter. For years, Expos fans came to Olympic Stadium disguised as empty seats. Tonight, it was an international holiday. A capacity crowd returned to The Big O ready to forgive and primed to celebrate the game, because they were just happy to be there again. They shamed every other team's fanbase with their fervor and were rewarded with an absolute classic that...

I am blessed in one regard. Every time I write something worthwhile in my blog and give my wife or my friends a sneak preview, they tell me what an amazing writer I am. Believe me, the compliments are much appreciated. They often wonder why I don’t write for a living. This is where I run into problems. For starters, how does one find a suitable outlet for a rant disguised as an “article”, written by a “professional writer”? How does one get paid for writing? A while back, I wrote the occasional sports “ranticle” (if you will) for Bleacher Report. Of course, I wasn’t paid for my contributions, but I received plenty of exposure. Some of it was positive, like Kendrys Morales’ offensive prowess. Another issue was the quantity of my submissions. The main reason why I’ve never pursued a career in writing is because I can’t just write for the sake of writing. If nothing motivates me to the point of putting fingers to keyboard, what do I do? I didn’t want the quality of my work to suffer b...

So, I did manage to hit up the local card show this morning before feeling sick again. No, it wasn't that bad, but it did get me into baseball card fever. For those who don't know me well, I am an avid baseball card collector. I have a large collection, including several Topps sets from 1981 to 1993. I often think about 'what if' as it relates to certain players who either retire at seasons end or are unceremoniously dumped mid-season. We are deprived of one last card which would list his entire career statistics on the back. For example, we never got a 1984 Topps Carl Yastremzski upon his 1983 departure. We never had a 1974 Topps Willie Mays after his "heroics" in the 1973 World Series. So, with nothing to do but sit in bed all day, I decided to do a super photoshop hatchet job and create one last card for a former 1986 Mets player. He was released in August, subsequently signed with the Chicago White Sox, and was cut by THEM after 15 games. I present...

It's true. Josh is the next Jack the Ripper!