Yes, what a weekend indeed. The Mets swept the Astros, limped to the 70 win mark, and finished the season. I got 2 more wins under my "witness" belt, and finished the season at Citi Field at 7-0 (with one loss that I never actually saw). I got to go on the field twice. I got to meet/see a few of my fellow bloggers.
Let me give a shout out to Dana Brand, Greg Prince and Jason Fry, Steve Keane, Zoe Rice, Lynn Cohen, and from Sunday, Ed Leyro.
Lynn Cohen did a great job setting up the GKR event. We were a bit cramped down in the Citi Field party area. A lot of GKR supporters came out despite the weather. A lot of GKR supporters came out despite the Mets. That's a big outfield. In some of the photos, you can get an appreciation of how many of us there were on the warning track. We came in from left field near the foul line, and a single line wound all the way to the right field foul line and then down the LF foul line towards 3B. I was somewhere in right centerfield just before the bullpen. That outfield wall is big, almost like you can't even see up into the crowd from the field. It looks big on TV, but seeing it in person from that level you really can see just how big it is.
They had t-shirts (some cool new designs and some other ones that I remember seeing earlier in the year. My collection is now up to 7 (and I do wear them a lot). And raffles. I won a pin from an instant winner scratch off. And I won one of the raffle prize baskets (on a single ticket even). That was really cool. Mine had a GKR hat, a t-shirt (one that I wanted but didn't buy because they didn't have my size), a pen and circular key chain (I guess) medallion with the circular Mets logo on one side and the Citi Field Ceremonial Groundbreaking logo and date on the other side. That's pretty cool to add to the collection.
Thank you to Lynn and the GKR "elfs" for all of their hard work putting Saturday together, bringing all of us together, and getting us onto the field. I've already seen on the GKR site that they did better than last year in raising money, so job well done! And thanks to Gary Cohen and Ron Darling for coming down, hanging out with fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures. Keith, we missed you down there.
I did end up staying through most of the rain delay, towards the end just hanging out in the party area talking to people (mostly Dana Brand), staying that long mostly because my plans at night weren't until later (no stopping at home in between) and I would rather wait at Citi Field (under cover) than in outside in Newark in case the rain didn't go away. I ended up leaving just as the skies cleared and the train left the station just a minute or so before the first pitch of the resumed game. Oh well. 5 innings with a lead counts towards my overall record (since they held the lead, much like the rules for a pitcher getting a win).
In no particular order, photos from the GKR portion of the day and a short video from walking onto the field.
It's late and I'm tired, and the GKR event really deserves its own post, so Sunday's game will be posted tomorrow.
Showing posts with label garykeithron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garykeithron. Show all posts
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My Last Days At Shea - Part 2 - The Santana Game
This is part 2 in a 3 4 part series on my last days at Shea. I bring you now to the final Saturday of the season, the penultimate scheduled game at Shea. At the time, the Mets season was hanging on by a thread. One loss and it's over. Scoreboard watching to see what Milwaukee and Philadelphia would do to possibly get us in the playoffs desipte another late-season collapse.
I had never sat in the bleachers in left field. I'd always wanted to. Nothing special about being out there other than it was different. But I didn't want to leave Shea for the last time without having sat there. I'd sat just about everywhere else at Shea (speaking in terms of general areas). I'd been looking for a way in for probably the last 2 seasons. They didn't sell individual tickets out there, only groups. OK, how do I get myself into a group that can get me into the picnic area and bleachers? I can fake the interest if it gets me out there. I don't care what game it is.
And stepping up to the plate was GaryKeithAndRon, the charity organization run by Lynn Cohen, wife of Mets TV play-by-play man Gary Cohen. Their "main event" group outing, penultimate game at Shea. Too perfect. No need to fake interest here. If there's one group I'd want to support it's one affiliated with fan favorite broadcasters Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling. Picnic bleachers, 1,200 Mets fans, season on the line. This has the making of a great story. Let me add one thing, thrown in by the GKR group - anyone from the group wearing their t-shirt gets to walk on the warning track for the National Anthem. So now I get to sit in that elusive part of Shea, AND I get to be on the field. I was just glad the rain held off long enough to get the game in without much of a problem (there was about a 1 hour delay and the threat of heavy rain for the entire weekend).
I'm out at the ballpark early (as always, the first LIRR train from Penn Station to Shea), we get in and get our commerative pins and towels and I go to check out the sights (during BP). A different perspective on looking at "empty Shea" in its full vivid color. I get my food, GKR merchandise sale (I bought 3 more t-shirts), and appearances by Gary and Ron, all with a delay in the game while the fans are told to line up in the back to come out on the field. Somehow, with the delay and extra time and whatever else it was, I managed to be the first person standing in one of the two lines. I've got the camera ready to capture this one. First person on line isn't walking behind people to come on the field, only someone from the stadium security leading the group. First person on line gets to go as far down as they'll let us (which was to the foul line initially, then when the crowd swelled up so much, it was over the line and down a few feet).
For the game, well, it became known as "The Santana Game" in Mets lure, just like "The Imperfect Game" and some others. Our new ace Johan Santana came out on 3 days rest and pitched a complete game shutout (it was later revealed that he had a bum knee for at least that game and possibly even the entire month of September). Mets win 2-0. He kept the season going one more day. And that's another story.
A big "thank you" goes out to Lynn Cohen and the rest of the GKR group for setting this up, timing it perfectly in the Mets season, and allowing us onto the field. At the time of this writing, I have 5 of their t-shirts now and am looking forward to the 2009 "main event" group outing at the new ballpark on the final weekend of the season.
Photo Day at Shea | The Santana Game | Shea Goodbye | In My Life
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
Become a fan of RememberingShea on Facebook.
Become a Networked Blog
I had never sat in the bleachers in left field. I'd always wanted to. Nothing special about being out there other than it was different. But I didn't want to leave Shea for the last time without having sat there. I'd sat just about everywhere else at Shea (speaking in terms of general areas). I'd been looking for a way in for probably the last 2 seasons. They didn't sell individual tickets out there, only groups. OK, how do I get myself into a group that can get me into the picnic area and bleachers? I can fake the interest if it gets me out there. I don't care what game it is.
And stepping up to the plate was GaryKeithAndRon, the charity organization run by Lynn Cohen, wife of Mets TV play-by-play man Gary Cohen. Their "main event" group outing, penultimate game at Shea. Too perfect. No need to fake interest here. If there's one group I'd want to support it's one affiliated with fan favorite broadcasters Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling. Picnic bleachers, 1,200 Mets fans, season on the line. This has the making of a great story. Let me add one thing, thrown in by the GKR group - anyone from the group wearing their t-shirt gets to walk on the warning track for the National Anthem. So now I get to sit in that elusive part of Shea, AND I get to be on the field. I was just glad the rain held off long enough to get the game in without much of a problem (there was about a 1 hour delay and the threat of heavy rain for the entire weekend).
I'm out at the ballpark early (as always, the first LIRR train from Penn Station to Shea), we get in and get our commerative pins and towels and I go to check out the sights (during BP). A different perspective on looking at "empty Shea" in its full vivid color. I get my food, GKR merchandise sale (I bought 3 more t-shirts), and appearances by Gary and Ron, all with a delay in the game while the fans are told to line up in the back to come out on the field. Somehow, with the delay and extra time and whatever else it was, I managed to be the first person standing in one of the two lines. I've got the camera ready to capture this one. First person on line isn't walking behind people to come on the field, only someone from the stadium security leading the group. First person on line gets to go as far down as they'll let us (which was to the foul line initially, then when the crowd swelled up so much, it was over the line and down a few feet).
For the game, well, it became known as "The Santana Game" in Mets lure, just like "The Imperfect Game" and some others. Our new ace Johan Santana came out on 3 days rest and pitched a complete game shutout (it was later revealed that he had a bum knee for at least that game and possibly even the entire month of September). Mets win 2-0. He kept the season going one more day. And that's another story.
A big "thank you" goes out to Lynn Cohen and the rest of the GKR group for setting this up, timing it perfectly in the Mets season, and allowing us onto the field. At the time of this writing, I have 5 of their t-shirts now and am looking forward to the 2009 "main event" group outing at the new ballpark on the final weekend of the season.
Photo Day at Shea | The Santana Game | Shea Goodbye | In My Life
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
Become a fan of RememberingShea on Facebook.
Become a Networked Blog
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Go to a game and support a good cause or two
I saw this posted over on The Eddie Kranepool Society. This is the first paragraph, with a good story over on the Kranepool Society...
Some day, when we're really strapped for something to talk about, I'll tell the story of being at Gary, Keith, and Ron's Main Event at the penultimate game at Shea for the 'Santana game' last year.
Go visit GaryKeithAndRon.com (a.k.a. Pitch In For A Good Cause) for more on the main event and all the other good things they do.
Become a fan of RememberingShea on Facebook.
Become a Networked Blog
Come celebrate with GKR and our loyal supporters! Food, free GKR tee, stand on the Citi Field warning track during anthem, raffles and fun, fun fun! Get 15% off tickets and all GKR merchandise for blog readers only now through August 15th. Use coupon code “blogger”
Some day, when we're really strapped for something to talk about, I'll tell the story of being at Gary, Keith, and Ron's Main Event at the penultimate game at Shea for the 'Santana game' last year.
Go visit GaryKeithAndRon.com (a.k.a. Pitch In For A Good Cause) for more on the main event and all the other good things they do.
Become a fan of RememberingShea on Facebook.
Become a Networked Blog
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Notes from our favorite charity organization
I just found a note in my inbox from my favorite charity, Pitch In For A Good Cause, a.k.a. Gary Keith & Ron (I hope all of you are on their mailing list too).
They purchased 4 season tickets in the Pepsi Porch and are reselling them on a game-by-game basis. They have cool t-shirts. I now own 5.
I did purchase a ticket for their big "Main Event" on October 3. Why else would I pay $120 for a Mets ticket (in the outfield no less). I'm actually glad the t-shirt they sent me isn't one I already had. I know it can't top last year's Main Event in the penultimate game at Shea (you know, the "Santana game") with us walking on the field. But it should be fun (as long as the season doesn't end the same way as it did each of the past 2 seasons).
My video from last year (and an excuse to show/watch it again).
They purchased 4 season tickets in the Pepsi Porch and are reselling them on a game-by-game basis. They have cool t-shirts. I now own 5.
I did purchase a ticket for their big "Main Event" on October 3. Why else would I pay $120 for a Mets ticket (in the outfield no less). I'm actually glad the t-shirt they sent me isn't one I already had. I know it can't top last year's Main Event in the penultimate game at Shea (you know, the "Santana game") with us walking on the field. But it should be fun (as long as the season doesn't end the same way as it did each of the past 2 seasons).
My video from last year (and an excuse to show/watch it again).
Friday, December 19, 2008
on the field at Shea
This is from GaryKeithAndRon.com day at Shea, which was the 2nd-from-last game at Shea Stadium. I'm the one holding the camera, walking on the field in front of about 1200 die hard Mets fans who bought tickets to the bleachers from garykeithandron.com to support their causes and buy & wear their t-shirts.
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