Red Bulls Defeated Dynamo 2-1 on Excellent Free Kick in Second Half Stoppage Time by Angel at Red Bull Arena Wednesday

What a game and finish last night at Red Bull Arena as the New York Red Bulls defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-1. I’d like to thank my friend for getting the tickets for us. He and his Dad have not seen the Red Bulls before so we decided to made a night of it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to move much after dinner at Fornos in Newark, which was great. We were discussing the four game losing streak and how they needed to win last night and this weekend before the World Cup break. It was one of those matches where the Red Bulls outworked the opposition but it didn’t show on the scoreboard. The Red Bulls had scoring chances but couldn’t finish on them. Mike Petke did not defend a header that sailed into the net past Bouna Time which tied the match. With 4 minutes of stoppage time in the 2nd half the Red Bulls had a free kick outside the box. Juan Pablo Angel kicked a terrific shot up over the wall and inside the left post, ricocheted and went into the net for the winning goal. It was unbelievable. There were seconds left in the match. Our friends said the supporters made the game and it was terrific seeing how the players came to the supporters after scoring and at the end of the match. Angel picked out a fan and tossed his jersey to them afterwards. I took the picture of one of the Garden State Supporters with their flag as the teams were entering the field. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Wednesday, June 2nd Update on Carlos Beltran Saga – Craig Carton of WFAN-AM Claims He Received Text from Beltran

Craig Carton of the Boomer & Carton Show on WFAN-AM claims that he received a text message from Carlos Beltran. The text allegedly stated that Beltran is running at 80-90%, running the bases and will be playing simulated games this week. I don’t believe a word of it. The New York Mets will not confirm this information. Last week the Mets said the final word will be with the team doctors. So Beltran decides to leak this to Craig Carton? Carton is doing his best to sound like his apparent hero Howard Stern circa 1991. Why would Beltran go through Craig Carton to say this and not have the New York Mets front office issue a press release and place it on their website? Don’t you think it’s that important? Let’s see if it comes to pass.

Pelfrey’s Excellent Start Leads Mets Past Padres 4-2 at PETCO Park Tuesday

Mike Pelfrey was brilliant last night at PETCO Park to earn the win. Big Pelf gave up only 1 earned run, scattered 4 hits, with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in 8.0 innings. He’s lowered his ERA to 2.39 and brought his record to 8-1 on the season. Francisco Rodriguez came into the game in the bottom of the 9th and earned his 10th save of the season but it was a bit of an adventure, giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts. Johan Santana starts for the Mets tonight in the rubber game of the series. If they win today it will be the first series the Mets would win on the road this year. Ike Davis hit a 2-run homer and went 2-for-4 and Jeff Francoeur continued his hot hitting going 2-for-3. David Wright hit a home run last night. The Mets need to score some runs for Santana early.

Alternatives to Major League Baseball – Atlantic League Independent Baseball in New York and New Jersey

There are alternatives to paying top dollar at the new Major League ballparks in Queens and the Bronx. You can watch the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks, Somerset Patriots and Newark Bears. The Atlantic League is an independent league made up primarily of former Major and Minor League players. My Wife and I have attended games since 2007 and have had the Saturday Plan for the Somerset Patriots since 2008. Cost of tickets range from $10.00 to $12.50 for excellent seats. The stadiums are family and fan friendly.

The Long Island Ducks play at Suffolk County Sports Park in Central Islip, NY. The Ducks won their division last season under manager Gary (Kid) Carter but lost in the opening round. Their current manager is Dave LaPoint.

The Somerset Patriots play at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ and are managed by ex-Yankee Sparky Lyle. They won the league championship last year and are looking forward to another playoff run this year.

The Newark Bears play at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium and are managed by Tim (Rock) Raines.

Mets Pitching Staff Imploded as Padres Destroyed Mets 18-6 at PETCO Park Reminding Me of Gashouse Gorillas Playing Against Bugs Bunny

There’s not much to say about this game as the Mets pitching staff got shelled last night at PETCO Park by the San Diego Padres. The Padres are the best baseball in the National League and the Mets are at .500 (26-26) on the season. The Mets are 7-17 on the road and they’ve lost 3-of-4 in their last four games. Two good things to note are that Jose Reyes hit a 2-run triple in the 5th inning and Rob Barajas a 2-run home run in the 6th inning for his 11th on the season.

• Takahashi – 6 earned runs, 4.0 innings, not good
• Valdes – 4 earned runs, 0.0 innings, brutal!
• Mejia – 0 earned runs, 1.0 inning, excellent
• Igarashi – 6 earned runs, 0.1 innings, brutal!
• Perez – 2 earned runs, 2.2 innings, he completely sucks!

Red Bulls Need to Get Back to Winning Ways

The New York Red Bulls started the season with a 5-1 record in their first six games but have now lost 4 straight and find themselves 5-5 with two matches to play before the World Cup break. The defense needs to tighten up and not let teams get open looks in the box. More shots are needed if they expect to win the next two and beyond. Head coach Hans Backe has done a terrific job with the team but more is needed from the players at this point. My friends and I will be going to Red Bull Arena this Wednesday for the Houston Dynamo match and hope to see more intensity from the Red Bulls. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Heading to Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium as Patriots Visit Bears Tonight

My Wife and I are driving to Newark shortly to see the Somerset Patriots take on the Newark Bears at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. We began going to Bears and Patriots game in 2007 before picking the Patriots as our home team.

Mets Lost to Brewers 8-6 at Miller Park Saturday

The New York Mets wore the away grey New York Cubans old school uniforms last night as a tribute the Negro League team from years ago and the Brewers wore the Milwaukee Bears home uniform. Unfortunately the New York Mets lost again to the Milwaukee Brewers by the score of 8-6 last night at Milwaukee. The starting pitching and Ol’ Ollie let them down this time out. Fernando Nieve got shelled in the start for Mets giving up 5 earned runs, 3 hits (2 HRs), 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. It was the 2 home runs that killed Nieve last night, who got his first start of the season with John Maine on the disabled list. The real nightmare started when Oliver Perez came into the game to pitch the 3rd and 4th innings. He completely sucks and doesn’t deserve to wear the Mets uniform. Perez (who completely sucks, in case you missed it) gave up 3 earned runs and a home run in the process. Dessens, Mejia and Igarashi did a great job pitching the final 4 innings and gave up no runs. Corey Hart is in the zone for at the moment for Milwaukee as he hit 2 more homers off the Mets. If he was wearing his sunglasses last night I wish he’d take them off! Jose Reyes had another multiple hit game going 2-for-4, run and RBI. Jason Bay also collected 2 hits and rookie Ike Davis hit a 3-run homer in the 4th inning giving him 5 homers on the year. The Mets were 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position but it was the pitching unfortunately that did them in.

The Carlos Beltran Saga is a Complete Joke at this Point

I posted on May 11th (and in a few previous posts) that Carlos Beltran was hitting line drives all over the Mets’ Port St. Lucie facility but that the pitches were all thrown to him underhanded. Beltran is not any closer to returning to the center field even now and has not been “cleared to resume baseball activities.” Believe it or not there is absolutely no timetable for his return. GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) said that the team doctors will have the final say on when Beltran returns. Yeah, right, just like they did when Beltran went to Colorado and had Dr. Stedman (not a team doctor) perform surgery. They said it was a cleanup job at the time. He’s making $19,401,569.00 this season guaranteed by the way. What a joke!

Brewers Defeated Mets on Two-Run Walk-Off Home Run at Miller Park Friday

Johan Santana pitched a brilliant game for the Mets through 8.0 innings but manager Jerry Manuel decided to take Johan out. Johan gave up no earned runs, only 3 hits, with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts on 105 pitches (72 strikes). Since Jerry saw him go over the “magical 100 pitch count” he thought it wise to take him out. I’m sure Johan could have started the 9th inning with the Brewers’ big hitters coming up. Pedro Feliciano came into the game in the bottom of the 9th inning and left after getting the first out of the 9th inning. Ryota Igarashi came into the game and threw exactly 6 pitches, 4 for strikes. The only problem was that two of the 4 pitches were hits and the second was a two-run walk-off homer by Corey Hart. Too bad Corey wasn’t wearing his sunglasses last night. Maybe he would have struck out. The real issue was that the Mets could not produce runs and they put up nothing on the scoreboard. They hit into three inning-ending double-plays and that encapsulated the game. Igarashi needs to get work and he was great before injuring his hamstring and going on the DL. The works help him and helps the bullpen. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for the Mets last night.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies Again to Complete Three-Game Sweep! This Time 3-0 at Citi Field Thursday

The New York Mets shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 for the three-game sweep last night at Citi Field. With a little luck it could have been 6-0 as Jason Bay missed a towering home run down the left field line that was above the foul pole and just foul. Mike Pelfrey 3-hit the hated Phillies with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts over 7.0 innings. It was important that Big Pelf get 7.0 innings pitched to save the bullpen some work. The win brings Pelfrey’s record to 7-1 on the season. I think it’d be great seeing a Met Battery of Mike Pelfrey pitching to Rob Barajas in the All-Star Game! The Phillies were visibly upset as the game went along. Pedro Feliciano pitched a scoreless 8th for the hold and Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless 9th for his ninth save of the season. Jose Reyes continues his multi-hit game streak going 3-for-5 (1 double), 1 run and 2 RBIs. Angel Pagan had a great night with an diving catch in right center field and went 2-for-4 at the plate. Watching Jayson Werth strike out 3 times and Cole Hamels get the loss for Philadelphia made the night complete.

WFAN-AM’s Mike Francesa and Pierre McGuire on NHL Stanley Cup Finals – Mike Knows Zero About the NHL

Listening to Mike Francesa and Pierre McGuire chat today on WFAN-AM was almost painful. Pierre is a regular contributor to the show and assumes Mike has some knowledge of the NHL. When Mike said this it floored me:

“You will see Pierre McGuire when the Stanley Cups begin tomorrow night…”

When did they have more then one Stanley Cup? Last time I checked they had one Cup, singular, not Cups. Mike mentioned that we’ll see Pierre on “NBC and all over”. He neglected to mention Versus or the Canadian TV outlet he works for most often. Mike then proceeded to mispronounce the head coach of the Flyers as Peter “Lavalet”. It’s Laviolette, not “Lavalet”. I’m not exactly a fan of Pierre McGuire but I had to listen. Mike obviously knows nothing about the NHL and this proved it with his dumb questions for Pierre. Mike asked Pierre if he was shocked with the Blackhawks getting into the Finals. Mike had no clue the Blackhawks came in 2nd place in the Western Conference, 1 point behind the San Jose Sharks. Last year they lost the Western Conference Finals to the Detroit Red Wings. Mike has no idea that Chicago’s an excellent team. Maybe the Yankees should lace up the skates and get on the ice!

Red Bulls Earn Their Way Into 16 Team Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament by Defeating Rapids 3-0 in Final Qualifying Match at Red Bull Arena Wednesday

The New York Red Bulls defeated the visiting Colorado Rapid 3-0 last night in the final qualifying match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament. With the win the Red Bulls are now in the actual tournament as they swept the three qualifying rounds. My friend and I sat in Section 108 once again with a great view just to the right of midfield next to the Red Bulls bench. It was absolutely hot as hell with a game time temperature of 91 degrees and lots of humidity. The lineup consisted mostly of the rookies and younger players but they played very well again and continue to impress. As my friend noted for the second straight U.S. Open Cup qualifying match veteran John Wolyniec scored two goals. Wolyniec scored them both in the 1st half to give the Red Bulls the 2-0 lead. The more I see Tony Tchani the more I like his tenacity and competitiveness. I hope he gets lots of playing time the rest of the season in MLS games. Tchani made a great play at midfield to keep possession of the ball, turned, and then made a great pass that led to one of Wolniec’s goals. Every time Irving Garcia touched the ball we erupted with cheers of GAR-CI-A, GAR-CI-A. You have to love that guy. Conor Chinn scored the 3rd goal for the Red Bulls to give them the winning 3-0 edge over Colorado. Sinisa Ubiparipovic was also very noticeable again last night. This game differed from the other Cup qualifiers in that head coach Hans Backe substituted in some starters as the game progressed. We’re glad we went to root on our team, and now to bring the Cup to the Red Bulls. I took the picture of Garcia.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies Again, This Time 5-0 at Citi Field Wednesday

The New York Metropolitans shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies once again last night, but this time by the score of 5-0. The Mets got strong starting pitching from Hisanori Takahashi who gave up no earned runs, only 5 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts to earn the victory and bringing his record to 4-1 on the season. Mejia, Igarashi and Nieve combined to pitch the final 3 scoreless innings. Jose Reyes continues to produce in the leadoff spot going 2-for-4 (HR), 1 run and 2 RBIs. Angel Pagan’s average is not at .291 as he went 2-for-4 with 1 run scored. Rob Barajas has been amazing for the Mets this year doing an excellent job behind the plate and providing lot’s of offensive power from the 8th spot in the lineup. Barajas had 3 huge RBIs last night giving him 27 on the year, ripping a 2-run double in the 6th inning. I love watching the Mets beat-up on the Phils. The Mets are now 1 game over .500 on the year.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Play Union in Preliminary Round of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament

The New York Red Bulls host the Colorado Rapids in the final preliminary match of the U.S. Open Cup Tournament. Whoever wins tonight goes to the 16-team tournament. I’m heading there with my friend. The weather’s hotter than hell with midday temperature in the 90s. The match will be streamed live at 8:00 PM EDT here. Click MLS Live tab. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

It’s Excellent that New York/New Jersey Will Host Super Bowl XLVIII

I was very happy yesterday as I listened to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced at 4:17 PM that New York/New Jersey will host Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014 at the new Meadowlands Stadium. There was a lot of pro New York City sentiment after September 11th for a Super Bowl, Giants Stadium being the only option at the time. It took a simple majority and four votes to get the win. The only mistake I made was listening to the “experts” on sports radio beforehand yapping about how it’s a shoe in. The reality is that it most often goes to four votes. I am glad Tampa Bay or Miami didn’t get it again as well as so many have been played there already. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey said it may bring $500 Million dollars to the area.

Mets Shut Out Hated Phillies 8-0 at Citi Field Tuesday

The New York Mets shut out the hated Philadelphia Phillies 8-0 last night at Citi Field in their opener of the three game series. Met starter R.A. Dickey was awesome throwing great knuckleballs all night. Dickey gave up no earned runs, 7 hits, with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts in 6.0 innings to earn his first win of the season. Raul Valdes came into the game and earned the old school save, no earned runs, only 2 hits, with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in 3.0 innings. The Mets scored a run in every inning except the 3rd then scored 3 more in the bottom of the 8th to take the 8-0 lead and whooped the Phillies. The Met bats came alive with 13 hits and as a team went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Jose Reyes led the way going 3-for-5 (3B) and an RBI. Rob Barajas and Jeff Francoeur each had 2 hits and Jason Bay had 2 RBIs. Jose Reyes has hit .375 in the last 5 games. Valdes helped his cause by hitting a double in the 9th inning off of Nelson Figueroa, getting and RBI and scoring a run in the process. Wow, the way Figueroa’s been pitching I’m glad the Mets didn’t sign him out of Spring Training. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each had 2 strikeouts for Philadelphia. Hisanori Takahashi pitches tonight for the Mets as they face the hated Phillies at Citi Field in the second game of the series.

U.S. Men National Team Play Friendly Soccer Games in Send Off Series Against Czech Republic on May 25th, Turkey on May 29th and Australia on June 5th

The U.S. Men National Team will play the Czech Republic in a friendly soccer game tonight in East Hartford, CT. The match will be televised on ESPN at 7:30 PM EDT. The Czech Republic is coming off a 2-1 loss to Turkey in a friendly match Saturday at Red Bull Arena. The U.S. Men play Turkey at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on May 29th at 2:30 PM EDT and Australia in South Africa on June 5th at 8:30 PM EDT. The final two games will be televised on ESPN2. After that it’s England in the World Cup on June 12th.

WFAN-AM’s Mike Francesa’s Famed “WAIT A SECOND!”

If you’ve listened to WFAN-AM then I’m sure you’ve heard Mike Francesa and his famed “wait a second” that he tells his radio callers on a regular basis. I found this video from his radio show that’s simulcast on the YES network and loved it! He’s an absolute Jets and Mets hater, although he’s the first to tell you he’s not. Come to think of it he hates the Knicks and Rangers, too. He doesn’t even count NHL hockey as a sport. Yeah, well, now, Mike, wait a second...

Red Bulls Defeated Juventus FC 3-1 in Great Win at Red Bull Arena Sunday

My Wife and I had a great time at the soccer match last Sunday as Juventus FC came into the friendly confines of Red Bull Arena with 18,735 in attendance. We sat in Section 132 and were serenaded by the Red Bull Supporters to our left and Juventus supporters to our right at midfield. At times the Juventus supporters were loud but didn’t have a lot to cheer for in the 2nd half. The Red Bulls started their subs once again and they played with energy from the opening kickoff. Red Bulls Irving Garcia, Conor Chinn, Tony Tchani and Sinisa Ubiparipovic were all terrific. Juventus controlled the play early in the match with great passing and ball control. Late in the first half Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero ripped a shot off the crossbar that deflected right for their best scoring chance in the 1st half. The score remained scoreless 0-0 at halftime. To begin the 2nd half Roy Miller was subbed in for Borman. In the 50th minute Garcia was fed the ball to the right of the goal outside the box. He took a rocket of a shot that hit the crossbar and Jeremy Hall followed it up and scored. Red Bulls took lead 1-0. In the 55th minute Miller fed a very nice through ball to Chinn who settled the ball and scored. Red Bulls led 2-0. Juventus then took out two of their top stars Diego and Del Piero. A few minutes later Juan Pablo Angel, Dane Richards and Seth Stammler were subbed into the game. In the 75th minute Richards streaked down the right side with the ball and crossed it to Angel who put it into the net. Red Bulls took a commanding 3-0 lead. Albright was subbed very late into the match. Unfortunately Juventus scored in the 90th minute, with about 10 seconds of regulation to go! I saw trouble in the box where the Red Bulls could not gain possession. Juventus’ Amauri held the ball, spun around 180 degrees and scored. That play reminded me of a hockey spin-o-rama. All in all we saw a great effort and match, and the rain held as well. I took the picture of Diego taking the corner kick in front of us.

New Statue of Yogi Berra to be Placed in Front of Yogi’s Museum in Little Falls, NJ

A new statue of Yogi Berra, truly one of the greatest players to every play Major League Baseball will be placed in front of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, NJ. Yogi was present today for the unveiling of the artist’s rendering. The statue shows Yogi holding a bat in the on-deck circle. Yogi is the proud owner of 10 World Series Rings which are on display at the museum. My Wife and I root for and attend New Jersey Jackal games and will be visiting the museum this summer before a game. I remember Yogi well as a coach and manager of the New York Mets years ago.

"I think it's great," Berra said. "I didn't know I looked that good."

"I still root for the Mets, but not when we play them," Yogi said.

"You have to love to play it and I loved to play it," he added. "Where else could you make that kind of money playing ball. I still love baseball. If I'm not out there, I could watch three or four games."

I completely understand what Yogi says about baseball. I too love it to that level, but never made a buck off it. In fact I’d pay to play some games at Citi Field!

Mets Take Last Two Games from Yankees 5-3 Saturday and 6-3 Sunday at Citi Field

The New York Mets took 2-of-3 and won the first Subway Series from their cross town rivals the New York Yankees on great pitching and timely hitting. Most Yankee fans will poo poo the losses, tell you they have 27 World Series Championships, better overall record, etc., but this was a big deal to them and to the New York Mets. If not why did Joe Girardi have so many pitching changes in all games as if it were the World Series? I will post more information later today.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Juventus FC in Friendly Match

My Wife and I are going to Red Bull Arena as the New York Red Bulls host Juventus FC this afternoon in a friendly match. I am looking forward to seeing a top class team play the Red Bulls. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

New York Football Challenge Tickets for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Clube de Portgual And New York Red Bulls

From the Red Bulls via e-mail:

SECAUCUS, NJ (May 21, 2010) - Red Bull New York and the World Series of Football (WSF) announced today the ticket purchasing information for the New York Football Challenge at Red Bull Arena. The showcase will take place from July 22nd through July 25th and features English Premier League sides Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portgual, and the host, the New York Red Bulls.

SALE DATES:

Red Bulls Full Season Ticket Holders will have a chance to purchase their seat locations for the match during a pre-sale which will begin on Tuesday, May 25th at 10:00 AM ET, and will continue until Thursday, May 27th at 10:00 AM ET.

Beginning Thursday, May 27th at 10:00 AM ET, Full Season Ticket holders will be able to purchase additional unlimited tickets in available locations, and Partial Plan holders will be able to purchase unlimited tickets in available locations.

Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 28th at 2:00 PM ET.

MATCH SCHEDULES:
Day 1: Thursday, July 22nd: Red Bulls vs. Tottenham Hotspur – 8:00 PM
Day 2: Friday, July 23rd: Manchester City vs. Sporting Lisbon – 8:00 PM
Day 3: Sunday, July 25th: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sporting Lisbon – 1:00 PM; Red Bulls vs. Manchester City – 3:30 PM (one ticket for both matches)