tangledupinblue

Ralph Wiley

Pound for Pound Champ

1952 - 2004

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Welcome to



HIDALGO -- Not a Viggo Mortensen BOMB, but Richard Hidalgo, the Mets new rightfielder. Got to like that trade. Weathers was a horse, but well, we desperately needed some protection for Piazza in the lineup. We get the Passion of the Reyes back on Saturday -- which would be the coolest birthday present I EVER could have gotten, and so an offensive overhaul could be in the works.

I go to Shea tomorrow for Piazza night. With the arbitration and the crazy hours, this is only the second game I will go to this season. But I get to see Brother Glavine pitch and Hidalgo's debut. Then Saturday night is 20 of my closest friends in the left-centerfield bleachers for Merengue Night! Merengue night is also Dominican Night of the International Week promotion at Shea and I sweear that my birthday seems to fall on Dominican night every year. Domincan night is hands down the best crowd of the year. Always 40 grand in the house, always a lot of good banter. Got to work both Saturday and Sunday (save for a father's day lunch) but man, two games and good friends and seeing Dmitri Young, my favorite non-Met twice. That's good.

Cameron just went yard. Life is good.

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BIRTHDAY UPDATE!!!!!!

ALL MY FIREINDS RULE -- You guys all leaving me messages is too cool! And my real life friends and family rule largely! Last night, Mets game with my three best buds -- Mike Piazza tribute, Yogi Berra autograph!!!!! Mike Cameron walk-off (And a Da Meat Hook dinger) and then a drunk-till-dawn sing-a-long with JPK.

Today -- twenty friends, mom, dad and sister -- Jose Reyes authentic jersey, loge box seats at Shea, Merengue night, The Passion of the Reyes' first game in the line-up ALL SEASON (gift from the baseball gods) scores the tieing run, smacks a tenth-inning triple to spark a rally, and another Mike Cameron walk-off hit. Awesome 24 hours at Shea. Never felt quite so beloved. Really cool.

So tomorrow's docket , cook pops breakfast at 9, then back to work weraing my shiny new jersey and then damn, almost forgot SG Burlesque at the Knitting Factory if I can get out of work and if I can keep my eyes opn. shrug. At this time I am so into the baseball that I'd probably take another trip to Shea over loverly SuicideGals --- but we all knew I was completely insane -- for a now 32-year-old lawyer i still have the tastes I had when I was 6, and the birthday party is still at the same place.



"NEW YORK -- Mike Cameron hit a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning, his second gam-winner in as many games, and Jose Reyes had a key hit in his return to the team, as the New York Mets rallied for a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers Saturday night.
Tied, 3-3, in the 10th, Reyes hit a one-out triple off Craig Dingman (1-1) to start the rally. After two intentional walks loaded the bases, Reyes was tagged out on pinch-hitter Shane Spencer's fielder's choice. Cameron then followed with a single to left field, scoring Ty Wigginton.

In Friday's series opener, Cameron hit a game-winning homer in the ninth inning.

Al Leiter pitched six innings for the Mets, struggling at times but keeping the damage to a minimum, and Cliff Floyd scored the Mets' first run and drove in the tying run in the eighth.

Months after a hamstring injury forced Reyes into a long and frustrating rehab, he was in the lineup Saturday for the first time since hurting his ankle in a game on August 31, 2003, batting second and making his Major League debut at second base.

He finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored."